What to do in Bangkok

06:30 Breakfast the Thai way

Street food can be enjoyed around the clock so why not have it for breakfast? The most popular traditional breakfast dishes are joke, a rice congee porridge and khao tom, a rice soup.
Go hunting on the small narrow lanes, called soi. A good place to start is the area around Victory Monument, one of Bangkok’s main transportation hubs.

08:00 Work out in style

Kick off your day with exercise in a stylish atmosphere. The Olympic Club is Bangkok’s best and most professional gym and sports center where you can also swim in a outdoor swimming pool, and take classes in Tai Chi and yoga.

Pathumwan Princess Hotel, 8th floor, 444 MBK Center Phayathai Road

11:00 Visit Chinatown

Yaowarat Road is the center of Bangkok’s Chinatown. Stroll down the streets and narrow lanes, and take in the Chinese culture and merchandise: textiles, herbs, traditional medicine, tea and gems. Or visit a temple, for example, the famous Chieng Fa.

Yaowarat Road, Chinatown

13:00 More Thai food

There are plenty of small, traditional Thai eateries all over town. While visiting the old part of town, try one of them. Thip Samai Noodel Shop, at 313 Mahachai Road serves the traditional dish Pad Thai, fried noodles, to perfection. It is said to deliver food to the royal palace nearby.

313 Mahachai Road

14:30 Shop ‘til you drop

Bangkok is one of the world’s premier shopping destinations. Big shopping malls line up side by side from the National Stadium station all the way to Phrom Phong. MBK is one of the most popular, and is known for no-brand clothes, fake perfumes and DVDs. Siam Paragon and Central World represent the other end of the spectrum.

18:00 Relax with some great massage

After running around in the heat of this chaotic city, a good massage can be needed to charge your batteries. Why not try a good foot massage or a traditional oil massage?
One of the more reputable is the Health Land, a chain with many locations.
www.healthlandspa.com

20:00 Dinner with the stars

There are more rooftop restaurants and bars in Bangkok that anywhere else in the world. Enjoy a three-course, five-star meal and a cocktail and observe the action from above. Sirocco in State Tower Building on 1055 Silom Road is a popular spot, Red Sky on at Centara Grand Hotel, in Chit Lom is certain to wow you. L'appart, on top of Sofitel Sukhumvit Hotel in Nana area, is one of the latest additions.

23:00 Flowers at night

Bangkok’s major flower night market at Pak Klong Talad, “the market at the mouth of the canal”, is an exotic experience. Buckets of roses, orchids, and other beautiful flowers are sold to, for example, big hotels and others in need of flowers for decorations are among the customers.

Pak Klong Talad, Chak Phet Road, close to Memorial Bridge. 

Text: Michael Töpffer