Bangkok Top 5 Attractions

1) Grand Palace

If there is one must-see sight that no visit to Bangkok would be complete without, it's the dazzling, spectacular Grand Palace, undoubtedly the city's most famous landmark. Built in 1782 – and for 150 years the home of the Thai King, the Royal court and the administrative seat of government – the Grand Palace of Bangkok is a grand old dame indeed, that continues to have visitors in awe with its beautiful architecture and intricate detail.

2) Chao Praya River

A cruise along the legendary Chao Phraya River and some canals on the Thon Buri side is the most pleasant way to explore the city once dubbed "Venice of the East". The majestic charm of the Chao Phraya adds perspective to any exploration of the city's premier attractions. Even though Bangkok has become a modern city, the river affords a charming look into the lives of everyday Bangkokians commuting to/from working and toiling along the river bands.

3) Bed Supperclub

This place is the capital’s undisputed king of ‘cool’. This is where hipsters come to lounge on white sofas, sip decadent cocktails, watch a film or live performance piece and dine on exquisite gourmet food. And, with a nightclub adjacent the dining room, all of the above ingested calories can be worked off with a few hours of boogying to hipster tunes spun by expert DJs. All in all this is THE place to see and be seen when visiting the City of Angels.

4) Chatuchuk Weekend Market

Though there are many markets throughout Bangkok, Chatuchak Weekend Market is still pretty much the undisputed master. The scale of it is pretty unbelievable – it covers an area of 70 rai (35 acres), contains more than 15,000 shops and has over 200,000 visitors daily. The range of products on sale is extensive, including homewares, handicrafts, religious artefacts, art, antiques, live animals, books, music, clothes, food, plants, flowers, etc...

5) Lin-Fa Restaurant

And last, but not least... no trip to Bangkok would complete without a trip to the city’s ultimate ‘destination’ restaurant: Lin-Fa (Siam City Hotel). This mainstay of the local Chinese food scene has been wowing audiences for over 16 years. Their signature dish is the might Peking duck; with dim-sum and hot and sour soup making a close second. The restaurant is perfect for a leisurely lunch with colleagues or raucous affair with family and friends.

Retro Retail in BKK

Market-saturated Bangkok is a vintage lover’s Mecca. Start out at the biggest and brightest in town, Chatuchak Weekend Market (Mo Chit Skytrain stations or Chatuchuk MRT station; weekends only, 10am-6pm) for items like vintage denim, re-worked clothing, second-hand books and decorative retro home wares and decorations.

 Other markets worth a trip include: Ratchada Night Bazaar (corner of Rachada and Lad Phrao Rd; Saturday only, 5pm-midnight) for vintage clothing, vinyl and antique toys; Talaat Wang Lang (Wang Lang, near Siraraj Pier; open daily) for clothing and accessories and Woeng Nakhon Kasem, or Thieves Market (Charoen Krung Rd; open daily) for Chinese and Thai antiques. 

 Plenty of standalone stores also specialise in vintage gear. Again & Again (Room B1a, Market Place, Soi 4, Sukhumvit Soi 55, Thonglor) is a divine boutique selling vintage pieces the designer has sourced from around the world. Other vintage fixtures in the city include It’s Happened to Be a Closet (266/3 Siam Square, Soi 3, Rama 1 Rd, itshappenedtobeacloser.wordpress.com), where fringed cocktail dresses, brightly coloured heels and cute crocket bed covers will all vie for your undivided attention.

 For a retro furniture and household-goods fix, go to Tuba (34 Soi 21, Sukhumvit Soi 63, Ekkamai, design-athome.com), which sells ‘60s sofas, ‘70s carpets and ‘80s curtains by day and cocktails, by way of morphing into a bar, by night. Its neighbour, Y50 (24 Soi 21, Sukhumvit Soi 63, Ekkamai), also doubles as a bar; test out funky chairs and Art Deco lamps over a few drinks while rubbing elbows with Bangkok’s artsy elite. 

 If you’d rather nourish your mind, Dasa Books (714/4 Sukhumvit Rd, dasabookcafe.com) has a great selection of second-hand tomes in various languages and states of repair. And last, but not least, head to Le Cafe Siam (4 Soi Sri Aksorn, Chua Ploeng Rd, lecafesiam.com) for food to quell your ravenous shopping-hungry stomach, this restaurant, set in a grand old colonial building, has many antiques and artworks for sale besides its fabulous food.