We have 2 days in Bangkok - what shall we do?

Visiting Bangkok from 3rd to 6th December, giving us 2 full days in the city. It%26#39;s not a long time, so we need to get the most of the time we%26#39;ve got. Does anybody have a suggested itinerary / places not to be missed? Also, I%26#39;ve heard that it will be the king%26#39;s birthday while we%26#39;re there, and that this is a bit of a celebration. Can tourists get involved in this, where does it all happen, and is it worth a look?

Thanks very much

Sian

We have 2 days in Bangkok - what shall we do?

Have a look at Keriyada%26#39;s (aka Celine) posts. She%26#39;s a local volunteer guide in Bangkok and is most helpful and knowledgeable.

We have 2 days in Bangkok - what shall we do?

Here is what I am doing with a tour guide Tan at www.izthai.com

Day 1: tuk tuk to wat pra,grand palace emerald buddha

lunch

longboat canal tour

visit wat arun

Day 2: wat trim: golden buddha

chinatown

lunch

flower market

wat pho reclining buddha

massage at wat pho

hope this helps any suggestions would also be appreciated

hello , hope this information will help you enjoy your short stay in bangkok, must see the golden bhudda, the royal palace, in case you get time the tour to the river kwai, is really good . the tour to the floating markets as well. these are very early in the morning, so should give you a bit of time to see about, also there is sky train, which you can get to the shopping malls, a trip on the local tut tuts,

small motorcycles with carriage, is good and a must to experience, they will probly look to take you to a tailor that they recommend, just make sure you say no. as this will take up alot of your time, also watch out for timeshare agents, who hand you forms on the street, do not sign your name or give your hotel. no matter what they tell you, as we got caught out and we were away for hours, especially in the heat. try to get atrip on the river and ask the tour to make sure you get the long tail boat to the back street canals of the main river , this will give you atruly remarkable insight to the way the local people live. also the royal palace you must have neat dress, check this with your hotel, or tour.

hope you have a good time

jim

I have cobbled together a number of recommendations from this and other forums and printed it up to take with me this week. It%26#39;s a poor man%26#39;s Lonely Planet, LOL.

Thanks to everyone for the following tips:

Bangkok: Go to Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Wat Arun. Do a river tour - there%26#39;s a boat you can jump on and off (Chao Praya express) and see the sights near the river). Take a day trip to Ayuthaya - it%26#39;s a wonderful day and you go by bus and come back along the river.

A temple that%26#39;s worth a visit is Wat Pho - and again, it%26#39;s within walking distance of Khao San (on the other side of Sanam Luang) and close to the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew. Wat Pho is famous for housing a giant reclining Buddha depicting the Lord Buddha as he received enlightenment before entering nirvana. Wat Pho is a must for your itinerary. The Buddha is 46 meters long and 15 meters high and it really is an impressive sight. However, Wat Po has more to offer. This is where all the masseurs have learnt their trade. Wat Pho provides Thai massage tuition and courses are available in English. You can also get a medicinal massage for around 200 Baht per hour. If you are still feeling the effects of your flight to Thailand, or you%26#39;re still stressed about being in Thailand - spend a couple of hours here having a massage. When you leave you WILL be a different person! Believe me! This is better than Xanax! You%26#39;ll need the whole morning there.

Boat Trip - A great day out can be had by simply going down to the Chapaya River, getting on a ferry towards Nonthaburi and just getting off at the various stops along the way. Nothing here is designed for tourists - you%26#39;ll see temples that are off the beaten track and see life the way most Thais live it. As I said before, it%26#39;s not really up to me to tell you where to go, so getting talking to people and figure out things for yourself - that%26#39;s the most exciting thing about travelling - picking up on someone%26#39;s advice, figuring it out, doing it, and enjoying it. Believe me, even though you might not want to because you think it%26#39;s silly, you%26#39;ll be proud of yourself if you do things this way. Another top tip鈥?Always keep a couple of hundred Baht in your wallet if you are going to head out and do things %26#39;on the fly%26#39; - if it goes wrong and you get lost, 200 Baht will be an ample sum to get you back where you started! Make sure you have that address card for your guesthouse or written instructions from the owners that you can show the taxi driver.

Shopping:

Sukhumvit Road This area is lined with shops from one end to the other as well as some of Bangkok%26#39;s biggest shopping malls. T shirts THB100.

Try these: Bangrak Market is behind the Shangri-La Hotel, a compact and unique little meander. Pratunam Market, at the intersection of Phetchaburi and Ratchaprarop roads, is a big wholesale center, with a vast array of inexpensive clothing. Pak Klong Talaat is home to Bangkok%26#39;s cut-flower market, with huge bushels of cut flowers and vegetables passing through here; it%26#39;s near the Memorial Bridge, on Chakrapatch Road along the Chao Phraya at Luk Luang.

Another favourite in this area is Mahboonkrong (MBK) shopping center. It will take only 10 minutes to walk there from Siam Square or alternatively one stop on the BTS Sky Train to the National Stadium station. From here you can walk straight into the Tokyu department store without going down to street level. We usually walk straight through here and out into the heart of MBK. Here you will find literally hundreds of smaller shops and stalls, selling many goods at bargain prices. You will find many things here from clothes to electronics.

Technology junkies can get their shopping fix at one of Bangkok鈥檚 IT malls, such as the bustling and lively Phantip Plaza on Petchaburi Road, or the slightly calmer and more modern Fortune Town on Rachadapisek (鈥楻achada鈥? Road. The Rama IX subway station is right in front of the center. Phanthip Plaza is located on Petchaburi Road about a ten minute walk east from the Ratchathewi BTS Station.

The Weekend Market - If you want to do some serious shopping and see some serious sites, get to the Weekend Market. Known locally as Chatuchak Market, the Weekend Market represents a challenge. If you are excessively tall or excessively obese, you aren%26#39;t going to have too much fun here! Every Saturday and Sunday about 75% of all humanity crams into a covered area of about 30 acres opposite the Northern Bus Station on Phahonyothin Road. The Weekend Market offers fruits, vegetables, handicrafts, clothing, pets, shoes - whatever! There is literally nothing you can%26#39;t get here. How much you can take home with you is another question, so don%26#39;t go over the top. Chatuchak is best approached with a mission in mind. Go for something specific. Open on Saturdays and Sundays from 7 a.m. - 6 p.m. Now you know where Siam Square is you can get up there and then get on the Skytrain to Morchit Station - you can%26#39;t miss it because it%26#39;s the last station. Get down on the left and you are about 5 mins away from Chatuchak%26#39;s entrance. This will take a day.

The Memorial Bridge Night Market is another night market which sells a large range of different products. Very good bargains can be found here, as the market is less popular with tourists than some of its fellow markets.

Thanks to everybody for the brilliant suggestions. Any suggestions of places to eat / places not to eat and other things to do in the evening? We%26#39;re staying on Sukhumvit road ( I think that%26#39;s how you spell it!)

Keep the ideas coming - getting really excited about the trip now!

Sian