Bangkok in-depth travel guide, a transit point to Chiang Mai, another version of Tokyo

I have actually passed by Bangkok many times, because I have to transfer here every time I go to Chiang Mai. But I never thought about staying there for too long. I think there is nothing to do in a big city. I would leave early if I can, and it would be best if I could run away overnight. The reason why I stayed in Bangkok for a week this time was because there were too many people asking about Bangkok on the platform. I was asked for several years, so I decided to stay in Bangkok for a few days.

There is another question. The reason why I want to know about Bangkok is also the disappointment of Chiang Mai. Due to the influx of Chinese people, prices in Chiang Mai have risen a lot. There are more Chinese people who go to do tourist business, which is to rob the job opportunities of the people of Chiang Mai, so the relationship between the people of Chiang Mai and the Chinese is still very delicate.

In short, with the background of Chiang Mai, Bangkok is still worth a visit now. In the words of a friend of mine: a low-profile version of Tokyo. But it is not as exquisite as Tokyo, and the benefits are not as expensive as Tokyo. To use a more popular saying: I met a fake Tokyo.This time, I have too little time, so I decided to stay for a while in a few months and carefully visit Bangkok. I only stayed for a week this time, so I can only write a rough outline. Please read it for now. I will publish a more detailed guide to Bangkok in the future.




1) Where to stay in Bangkok?

This is a question that bothers everyone, and I have been thinking about it for a long time. Bangkok is divided into the old city and the new city. We are familiar with some attractions such as Chinatown, Khaosan Road, and the Grand Palace, which are all in the old city. But there are no large shopping malls in the old city, and the shopping malls are all in the new city. The old city and the new city can be reached by subway. So some guides recommend living near the subway, so that both the new city and the old city can be reached, which makes sense. But one thing to note is that the current subway cannot reach the above-mentioned attractions in the old city.

In other words, even if you live along the subway line, it is still inconvenient. After getting off the subway, you still have to find a way to go to these attractions. This is the case in Thailand. The subway has been under construction for several years and has not been repaired. The efficiency is particularly low. This problem will no longer exist when it is completed. Here, it is really one person working and three people watching. What is there to see? If it were in China, they would have been scolded to death.

After repeated consideration, because I considered that I would come again in the future, I would choose a place first, play this place thoroughly, and then change the place next time. So we chose to live in the old city, and we can walk to Chinatown, Khaosan Road, etc. But it is far from the subway, and you can walk there, but it takes a long time to walk there.

There are also many cruise ships mentioned in many guides, but the boats can only go along the river, and there is a distance from the old city, not to mention the new city. It can only be used as a means of entertainment, and it is a bit of a joke to use it as a means of transportation.

Personal suggestion: You can plan the route first, and decide which attractions to visit or mainly to buy things, so you can only squeeze in one end first. For example, if you want to go shopping, you must go to the new district, and it must be closer to Siam Square. But if you just want to visit attractions, there are definitely more places to visit in the old city.

2) What are the places worth visiting in Bangkok?

For attractions, you can refer to the official guides of Mafengwo and Qiongyou, which have been introduced in detail, so I won’t say more. But I am not interested in these attractions, so I don’t have any suggestions.

Here are a few that I like:

Chinatown: This is the largest Chinatown in the country I have been to. It is a large area. It takes most of the day to visit, and there is a night market at night that is more lively. Unlike some cities, Chinatown is very small, such as Melbourne, which is really just one street. Of course, there is also the filming location of "Detective Chinatown".

In some countries, Chinatown is really only for Chinese people, and other races don't come here very often. But in Bangkok's Chinatown, many Thai compatriots also come to buy things. Not only are ethnic relations harmonious, but eating habits also influence each other. How to distinguish between Chinese and Thai people? It's easy to recognize. Those who look good are Chinese. It's true. It works every time. When you come to Chinatown, you can take your time to stroll around. You don't have to worry about not getting used to the food and daily necessities. If you want to eat Chinese food, there are all.

Regarding language, I later found that the Chinese in Chinatown in most countries just can't speak Mandarin. But they can speak Cantonese, Teochew, or one of the Minnan dialect or Hakka dialects. It is estimated that Mandarin was not popular at that time, and the earliest immigrants could not speak it, so it was not passed down, not that they forgot the language of their motherland. So the children's shoes in the south can probably communicate.







Sukhumvit: This is the name of a district. I plan to live here next time. Just like Chinatown, you instantly feel like you are back in China. When you come to this district, you will think you are in Japan. When you go to Chinatown, you will feel that in the past, for example, a hundred years ago, the Chinese should have been quite powerful. Just look at the size of Chinatown, but it should have declined in recent years. The current Chinatown is an old city area, shabby.

When I arrived at Sukhumvit, I felt that Japan and Thailand have cooperated a lot in recent years, and it is the latest to rise. This district is also very large. Some streets only have Japanese signs, various Japanese restaurants, supermarkets selling Japanese goods, and Japanese people speaking Japanese. . . . I saw fake Tokyo. And some of my favorite coffee shops are also in this district.

Of course, there is still a big difference between here and Japan, but it is cheaper. For example, the set meal below is about 120 baht, more than 20 yuan, which is definitely enough to eat, with soup and rice. In Japan, it is estimated that it will cost 70 or 80 yuan. If you like Japanese culture, I believe you will like it here.

3) Where to buy things in Bangkok?

Chinatown: Specialties from various stalls, but the style is a bit low, a shopping paradise for ordinary people.

Siam Square: There are several shopping malls here, all in this area. To put it in a literary way: I can't tell them apart. . . . In fact, I was confused, there are so many shopping malls, I can't tell which one is which. I personally think the shopping malls here have a strong sense of design, and it's not bad to visit. As for the things inside, well, I didn't look too carefully, I guess it's not suitable for losers like me.

Chatuchak Market: This has been mentioned in various guides, and it's exaggerated, saying that it's the largest weekend second-hand market in Asia. I went there on weekends specifically, and there were no second-hand things. Instead, it felt a bit like our small commodity wholesale city, and the price was not cheap. I really thought it was very average. It's not as good as Ban Thap Wai in Chiang Mai, and it's not as cheap as our almighty Taobao, and it doesn't have as many varieties as ours. This is just my own feeling. Some people also left messages saying that they bought a lot of things here, but I only bought a bottle of juice on the roadside when I went there. . . . . . We are out to play, just be happy.

4) What restaurants and coffee shops do you recommend in Bangkok?

I have come to my favorite food recommendation part. All the recommendations are marked on the map. If you need to leave a message on the official account. This time I stayed in the old city, so the recommended restaurants and coffee shops are mostly in the old city.

Let me briefly talk about my understanding of Bangkok's catering. Personally, I think the restaurants here are better than those in Chiang Mai. I think it is influenced by the Chinese. You know, in foreign countries, when we mention Chinese people, it is assumed that we can cook, so Bangkok can not only eat Chinese food, but also Thai food is not bad.

Another thing is the food stalls that open at night. Bangkok is too hot, so many people come out at night. These food stalls that open at night are all year round, and some of them are still highly rated on review websites. Don't worry about not having a storefront, being unhygienic or overcharging customers. I haven't encountered these problems. In addition to being a bit low-class, some of the tastes are really good, and the key is that they are cheap.

Western food






My favorite coffee shop in Bangkok that serves food. This needs to be explained. Most coffee shops in China do not serve food. But in Europe and the United States, most of them serve food, and there are few shops that only serve coffee. This is different from China. Bangkok is also an international city, so there are many coffee shops that serve food, which does not mean that the coffee is not good. But it is rare that both the coffee and the food are very good.

So if you come across a shop with good food and coffee, you must recommend it. The location is next to the subway station in the old city. It's a little expensive, probably more than 100 yuan for two people, but it's really good. If you like coffee and Western food, you must not miss it.

Thai fried rice noodles






First look at the queue below: But don't worry, the queue before the dinner opens. As soon as the door opens, everyone goes in and has a seat, so the queue is not long. It is said to be the most popular fried rice noodles in Bangkok. It seems that the king has visited it. It's delicious, and our Chinese taste is acceptable. But the portion is too small. I have to eat two portions by myself, let alone a big man.

Restaurants near the Grand Palace

Wandering around the Grand Palace, of course, I just looked outside and didn't go in. I didn't plan to eat there, thinking that there shouldn't be any delicious food near the scenic spot. It's in a small alley next to it. It looks like a Western restaurant opened by Chinese. I think it's good, so I went in. It's very good, delicious, and cheap. Recommend it.





Breakfast of overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia

This shop makes its own butter, and many people come to buy it. Sitting inside, it feels like going to Southeast Asia in the past. You can also eat Chinese sausages, which taste good and are very cheap.






Ice cream shop

This shop is highly ranked on Thai food websites and is next to the subway. After entering, I found out that it is also owned by Chinese. I can speak Teochew. My son is still studying architecture in Beijing and said that Beijing is very polluted. The ice cream is very delicious. It seems to be 6 yuan per scoop, which I think is cheap




Coffee shop

The following coffee shop is also one of the top coffee shops recommended on various websites. They roast their own coffee beans and have a variety of coffee beans to choose from. If you only come to one coffee shop, this is it.





5) Transportation

Flights: It should be noted that AirAsia is no longer the only option. Check it online and compare it with AirAsia to see which one is cheaper.

Transportation within the city: Since I chose to live in the old city, I saved some transportation fees and could walk there. I rely on the subway to go to the new city, so I didn’t feel the traffic jam in Bangkok.

Taxi: I took a taxi from the bus station to the hotel. I was almost crying because of the stupidity of my fellow Bangkokians. It can be regarded as a joke.

The people are very nice and enthusiastic, but they are stubborn. The taxi driver can’t speak English, navigate, or read maps. We came out of the bus station and lined up to take a taxi. We gave the hotel address and map to the traffic coordinator, which was in English. The trouble began. The staff looked for the driver with the map for half an hour, and no one knew him.

The hotel is in the old city, about ten kilometers away from the bus station. The map is clearly marked, so just drive first and ask when you get there. Isn’t this the case with domestic taxis? Who only knows the specific location of a hotel ten kilometers away. If you know the approximate location, just drive first and talk about it when you get there. As a result, the Thai people had to figure it out before leaving. It took half an hour to figure it out.

This story tells us: It should be more convenient to give the driver the hotel address in Thai.