Is Bangkok worth visiting? Review of multiple visits

Bangkok, Thailand’s capital city on the Chao Phraya River, is a bustling, vibrant city full of magnificent temples, a lovely maze of channels, “Klongs,” delicious food, great cafes, fantastic nightlife, and gorgeous parks.

However, people have a love-or-hate relationship with Bangkok. After all, Bangkok is a large Asian city with over 11 million people.

We visited Bangkok multiple times through the years and understand both sides. 😅

But we still believe Bangkok offers something for everyone. It’s undoubtedly one of the best cities to experience in Southeast Asia. So it’s no wonder it’s visited by such an immense number of tourists all year round.

Let’s get into a bit more detail about our experience and why we think everyone should visit Bangkok at least once! And, at least for a day.

Although, a sweet spot, in our opinion, would be 3 days (here’s our ideal itinerary). But we get it if you have less time. Thailand has lots of incredible places to see!

Our experience

We first visited Bangkok back in 2022, and we must admit, it was quite overwhelming for us at that time. We actually visited everything around Bangkok at that time (such as Maeklong Train Market, Dragon Temple, floating markets, etc.), but nothing really in the city itself.

To be fair, we did spend a lot of time in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur just before coming to Bangkok, so we were maybe just over big cities at that time.

At the end of our first trip to Thailand, we returned to Bangkok to give it a second chance (plus FOMO of not seeing the main attractions was killing us 😅), and we actually ended up liking it a lot.

Since then, we have returned to Bangkok many times. We even stopped counting at this point. And whenever we use it as a transfer base (which happens quite a lot), we always try to add at least a day to our stay and see something new.

There’s seriously a lot of fun things to do in Bangkok, so no matter how many times we visit, we’re never bored.

Why we think Bangkok is great

Contrast of old and modern

We love observing this in Bangkok. One moment you can be in a high-rise building with a bar and DJ on the highest floor, drinking a cocktail surrounded by a concrete jungle, and in another you’re in what seems like a small village, sitting on a plastic chair and eating freshly made street food from a local vendor.

Fun activities

Bangkok has so many cool activities, and we have an endless list of things we still want to try on future visits. 😅 From cooking classes and food tastings to river cruises, bar hopping, cycling, and more.

We truly believe there is something fun for everyone.

Our recent favorite is this cycling tour through the side of Bangkok you wouldn’t really imagine right away.

Beautiful temples

Temple-hopping is one of our favorite things to do in Bangkok. There are a lot of them, from the iconic Wat Arun and Wat Pho to smaller, more hidden temples where at some point you’re the only person visiting. Crazy, we know!

👉🏼 Here is the list of our favorite temples.

Great shopping

Bangkok has some really iconic shopping malls (and a lot of them too), so if you love shopping, beware! 😅

This is something that we’re really sad we didn’t take advantage of more since we really liked the offer, and you can also get a VAT refund when leaving!

Amazing food & bars

As a big Asian city, Bangkok offers lots of food options, from small street vendors to international food (any you can imagine) and fine dining. This is one thing we absolutely love in big cities.

Also, the number of great night food markets is big!

There’s also lots of great bars if that’s something you’re interested in. Small, hidden bars to big rooftop ones with crazy nightlife.

Why you might not like Bangkok

Traffic jams

We wouldn’t neccesarily call traffic in Bangkok chaotic, but it can be very busy. Traffic jams are very likely to happen, especially in peak hours (which is almost always 🙈).

This is why you need a good plan, so you don’t spend most of your time on the road! 👉🏼 Our 2-week Thailand itinerary can help! ☺️

We also rented a scooter to go around (for things outside the old center), and we’re not sure if we would really recommend it. 😅 But if you plan to drive, read this article first!

It can be expensive

People expect Thailand to be super cheap, but it’s actually not. The same thing goes for Bangkok. Sure, it’s definitely more affordable than some Western countries, but some things can still be pricey: rooftop bars, fancy dining, etc.

Hotels also got more expensive, although it’s still not that crazy. And the good thing is that the local food is still really affordable (and super tasty)!

It’s huge

To really experience Bangkok, you need to see both sides: the old and the new, modern side. This contrast is such an interesting thing to observe while in Bangkok.

However, for that, you need to move from one part of the city to another. And in Bangkok, that can really take time.

Khao San Road

Don’t judge Bangkok based on Khao San Road! That’s like saying you hate Phuket, but you’ve only been staying and seeing the Patong area.

Unless you’re a young backpacker or a person who loves this type of scene, there’s a big chance you won’t like it! So, just avoid it.

Conclusion

So, do we think Bangkok is worth visiting? Absolutely! The unique contrast of old and modern parts, fantastic food scene, night scene, beautiful attractions, and endless activities are reason enough.

One day is a must, but if you can, give it a few days so you can really experience it. And remember, don’t be too quick to judge! Been there, done that. 😅

While we wouldn’t say we love Bangkok, we do like it a lot and think it’s a really unique city to visit.

And we’ll definitely pop in for a few more visits in the future. 😁