- Bangkok, Thailand, is a shopper's paradise with everything from cosmetics to vintage cars.
- Whether you want to learn Thai cooking or have a spa day, here are a local's must-do activities.
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After living in Bangkok on and off since 2010 and working as a travel guidebook writer covering my adopted home city, all too often, I see tourists focused only on temples and tourist areas like Khao San Road.
And while those are worthy sights for first-timers, what these visitors don't realize is that the city also offers an unparalleled assortment of things to do, and plenty of relaxation, too.
Yes, the city is busy and fast-paced, but it can also offer good downtime and quality of life — and that's what makes it an attractive place to live for so many locals such as myself.
If you want to get a taste of what we locals really love about Bangkok, try out some of these activities.
Shop 'til you drop
Bangkok is a buyer's paradise with no shortages of mega-malls and market stalls. Clothing, decorative items, and electronics are probably most associated with the shopping circuit, but there are a lot of other curiosities, like vintage wear, antiques, vinyl, cosmetics, and skincare, too.
Chatuchak Weekend Market is the best place for rare finds. My rule of thumb here is, "If you like it, buy it" because you may not find that same stall again with more than 10,000 vendors spread across 26 sections in total. Sections 1 and 2 are located right at the entrance from Kamphaeng Phet road (accessed via the MRT and BTS stations). Section numbers run mainly counter-clockwise around the market's exterior from here but are ordered illogically in some areas, so paying attention to the signs and arrows should be a big help.
Some of my favorite personal treasures from Chatuchak have been found in Sections 1, 10, and 25, which are dominated by dusty antiques like decorations, jewelry and records, and regional artisan wares. Sections 8 to 24 are all packed with clothes, but I usually hang around Sections 2 and 3 to discover independent designers and secondhand items.
What Chatuchak lacks in atmosphere (it's hot, sweaty, and chaotic), Talad Rot Fai Market (the "Train Market" in English) makes up for. The weekend night bazaar, located not far from Chatuchak, is known for a casual party vibe with young Thai crowds drinking cocktails from VW vans while shopping for antiques. Most of the items here will be things you maybe can't bring home with you easily, like retro sofas and barber chairs, or spare parts for vintage cars and motorbikes, but it's a lot of fun to browse.
Treat yourself to a spa day
Well-priced massages, available around almost every corner, are what I consider one of the best perks of living in Bangkok. For as little as 300 baht ($10), you can have your whole body cracked, stretched, and pounded out in a traditional Thai massage. A lot of locals like myself find the addition of hot oil or compresses helps ease what can be an otherwise rough experience.
Often, I'll make it a spa day with friends and we'll meet up at a location of Healthland, a popular Bangkok spa chain, and get professional mani-pedis, scrubs, and a facial at a fraction of what they may cost abroad.
I also like Let's Relax Onsen and Spa for a Japanese-inspired spa day. It sources water from the Gero hot springs in Japan for use in milk, soda, and whirlpool baths. There's also a sauna, a hot-stone bed, and a tatami room for relaxing, so it's a great place to buy an all-day package and lose track of time.
Yunomori Onsen is another good choice with two locations, one in Sukhumvit and in Silom, taking its hot-spring water from Ranong, Thailand for hot, cold, and carbonated soaks. As per Japanese tradition, both onsens have separate sections for men and women.
Go to a VIP movie theater
During rainy days in Bangkok, many locals like me pass the time by catching a movie at one of the city's luxury cinemas. For about the same price as a ticket and a bucket of popcorn at a US theater, you can treat yourself to a state-of-the-art experience that could include recliners or sofa seats with cozy blankets, alcohol, snacks, and even butler service. Films are predominantly shown in original English with Thai subtitles. Before each show, a short tribute film to the king plays and the audience stands in commemoration (make sure you do too, as not doing so is considered highly disrespectful and also illegal).
The Enigma at the Paragon Cineplex is probably the most expensive (about $100 for a two-person experience) but includes the price of dinner and usually, a drink like a cocktail or wine served by the theater's private butler. You can choose from a range of seats with silk pillows and blankets against candlelight. I usually go for a massage chair when alone, or the sofa with a friend.
Explore the Chao Phraya riverside
Bangkok's riverside area is having a revival period, with lovely hipster cafés and restaurants popping up in restored shophouses along the water. There are great historical attractions beyond your typical crowded temples, such as the fascinating Kudichin neighborhood, a former Portuguese quarter with multireligious, multicultural architecture.
Between padding the pavement of tiny soi alleys weaved against the Chao Phraya, you can also check out the new River City shopping center focused on art and antiques. The nearby ICONSIAM is one of Asia's newest, largest shopping malls and is a place you can amble around for hours.
Go for a boozy Sunday brunch buffet
Sunday brunch is a Bangkok institution with several hotels offering bottomless buffets and free-flow booze. For a reasonable price, you can sip bubbles of choice and graze from live cooking setups and tables of savory items and desserts. Usually, it's all included at a single reasonable price and can be even cheaper if you book with a group.
To be clear, these are not your everyday hotel brunches with omelet and cereal stations. The food is over-the-top: Sunday roasts and oysters shucked before your eyes, seafood on ice, chocolate fountains, and more made-to-order delights. VIU, SEEN, Trader Vic's, and The Dining Room are among my favorite places to go.
Relax in Bangkok's green lung
Despite being mostly known as a concrete jungle, Bangkok also has beautiful, laidback greenery. The capital's parks offer lovely shady spots under foliage, the most famous being Lumpini Park. Dubbed Bangkok's Central Park, it's a sprawling green space with character: a lake with rental paddle boats, classes of aerobics and tai chi, and feedings of the park's resident cats and birds.
Benjakitti Park, in the heart of downtown Sukhumvit, is also known for running tracks and a lake where turtles laze all day. Not far away, Benjasiri Park makes for a nice garden walk around fountains and sculptures, plus sports courts where locals play volleyball, football, and takraw.
Hang out on a rooftop
The tops of Bangkok's skyscrapers offer a quiet, breezy reprieve from the humid buzz down below. A short elevator ride takes you up to some of the city's most popular bars and restaurants. No matter how long you live in Bangkok, it's hard to get enough of their sunset skyline panoramas.
Bangkok's rooftops are often pricey (at Sirocco, a filming location for "The Hangover 2," drinks cost as much as $30 a pop) so be prepared to shell out depending on where you go. Octave at the Bangkok Marriott Sukhumvit in Thong-Lor is one of my favorites because the views and location are great, and the cocktail prices are still reasonable.
Learn the art of Thai cooking
One of the best ways to appreciate Thai cuisine is to learn how to make it. Join a cooking class where the standard experiences offers a market visit, step-by-step cooking, a shared meal, and usually a take-home recipe book.
In Bangkok, cooking schools like the Blue Elephant and the Silom Thai Cooking School offer a range of courses with different dishes. For a deep dive into Thai cuisine with a modern twist, I recommend Bo.lan, formerly one of Bangkok's most influential Michelin-starred restaurants now serving immersive cooking workshops and master classes. The chef-owners (you may recognize Bo Songvisava from Netflix's "Chef's Table") are passionate about sustainability, sourcing, and artisanship, and offer the chance to work with Thai ingredients like stocks from scratch.
Marvel at contemporary art
Bangkok has a spectacular contemporary art scene. The longstanding Bangkok Arts and Culture Centre and much newer Museum of Contemporary Art are both institutions. Lately, a lot of smaller galleries have opened in former Chinatown shophouses, like Speedy Grandma and WTF, which host pop-up exhibitions combined with fun opening parties and live music — BK Magazine's Arts page is where you can see what's happening.
Visit a vitamin therapy bar
In a party city such as Bangkok, vitamin IV drip bars offer a creative way of tackling hangovers. Once only offered at private hospitals, these IV drip clinics are becoming all the rage, and not just for a debilitating morning after, by the way. There are "vitamin cocktails" for jet lag, anti-aging, sports injuries, or if you're simply feeling under the weather. I suggest VIVID at the luxury hotel Anantara Siam.
View Insider's comprehensive guide to visiting Bangkok, Thailand.