48 Hours in Bangkok
Diana outside the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand
2-Day Bangkok Itinerary
Gateway to Southeast Asia
In the spring of 2017, we flew directly from Siam Reap to Phuket in Thailand. The original plan at the time had been to visit Bangkok en route to Phuket, but after a string of larger cities (Hanoi, Ho-Chi Minh City, and Phnom Penh) we felt a need to shake things up and went directly to Phuket.
Di found a flight from Copenhagen to Bangkok for $250.00. It was the most affordable option we could find, taking us back to Southeast Asia where we wanted to spend three weeks before our flight from Bali to New Zealand.
Back in 2017, we had said that there would be a chance to visit Bangkok some other time as it is a hub for traffic in and out of Southeast Asia, and here we were, three years later.
A commuter bus runs along Silom Road in Bangkok, Thailand
Arriving in Bangkok
Our Norwegian flight was okay but long, and you always tell yourself that jetlag won’t be too bad. But it’s there, the jetlag, mixed with hypersensitive attention to new detail and impressions.
These transcontinental flights are still amazing. One moment you are in the midst of winter in Copenhagen and then you wake up in hot and humid Bangkok on the other side of the planet.
We decided to find our way to our hostel via public transportation and easily found the Metro MRT.
We arrived by Metro (MRT) to Si Lom Station on Silom Road in Bangkok
We struck up a conversation on the train with a young backpacker from San Francisco. He had just started his journey and there was a wonderful exciting look of anticipation in his eyes.
HQ Hostel Silom
It was only about 500 meters from the Si Lom MRT station to our hostel, the HQ Hostel Silom, and we decided we could easily manage to walk with our packs.
It only took seconds to break a sweat but it was a wonderful feeling after arriving from much cooler Scandinavia.
The HQ Hostel Silom had a usual but wonderful hostel vibe with backpackers, typically half our age, hanging out in the lobby.
The street markets in Silom, Bangkok
Travelers were drinking coffee, sharing stories, and making plans on laptops and mobile phones. Our room was not ready yet so we changed into shorts and t-shirts and headed out to explore the area.
Markets in Silom
Hungry for a mid-morning snack, we found a vendor along Silom Street and had refreshing and tasty sticky rice with mango. The area around Silom Street is bustling with activity and there is plenty to photograph and feast your eye on.
We walked through the side streets around the Patpong and Silom Night Markets at took in the atmosphere.
Hundreds of vendors are set up here selling anything you can imagine and the air is filled with the smell of vendors tempting with freshly made local foods for lunch.
Food vendors prep lunch at the Patpong Night Market in Silom, Bangkok
Jetlag
Our room at the hostel was ready two hours early. It was however located on the 5th floor in a building without an elevator.
As you climb each floor the steps have markings of how many calories you burned to get to this point. The 5th-floor location made us think twice before leaving the room to make sure we had everything we needed.
We had a 2-hour nap as jetlag had hit us by now and it was hard to wake up again. The room was one of the most peculiar we have stayed in during all of our travels. As you walk into a very narrow entry an open shower bathroom was on your immediate right.
The pond and fountain at Lumphini Park, Bangkok
Take one or two steps further into the room and this was our bedroom with a mattress on the floor and about a foot of space on either side of the mattress.
This meant we literally had to live on the bed, pack and organize things on the bed. The room had AC which is a must-have in Bangkok. The nightly rate was $33.00.
Lumphini Park
After a quick shower, we headed out again to find coffee and explore for the afternoon. We walked along the busy Silom Road again to nearby Lumphini Park.
It was a lazy, humid, hazy, and hot afternoon meaning we took our time to walk the trails, sit on a park bench, and watch what was going on around us. 34 degrees Celcius.
A group is gathered to do qigong in Lumphini Park
People were taking naps along the pond, walking their dogs, and jogging, and we spotted a Qigong class taking place in an open area along the path.
Trees with huge trunks and branches swaying over the pond along with the green foliage and moist air made the park feel tropical.
Dinner in Silom
We left the park as the sun was getting low on the horizon over the Silom skyline. Di had booked a massage near our hostel and we opted for an early dinner.
“Yeah Chef” was a quaint restaurant along Silom Road, and we thought it would be fitting to order pad thai. It was excellent.
While Di had her massage I explored the area again with the camera. It was an excellent first day back in Thailand and after a bit of planning for the following day, lights were out in our tiny hostel room.
River boat in Bankok by the Wat Arun Temple, Thailand
Day 2
The hum of the city is the first thing you notice waking up. Bangkok’s population is in excess of 10 million and although our room faced a minor street near Silom Road you could hear delivery trucks, buses, trains, and scooters. In other words, it was time to get up.
Breakfast with eggs, toast, coffee, and juice, was included in the room rate at the hostel and the front desk helped us plan our day.
It would be a day with a ferry trip up the Chao Phraya River to explore as much of the city as our legs could handle.
Cab drivers and checking their cars in preparation for another busy day in Bangkok
Tuk Tuk to the Ferry
Bangkok has an impressive list of temples and sites to visit but as we have discovered many times before sometimes it’s the journey to and from the attractions which are the most memorable.
The tuk-tuk ride, in the early morning hour, seeing the street sweepers clean the city road and sidewalks, or the cab drivers prepping for a busy day can be just as rewarding as the final destination.
Or arriving at the ferry terminal, scouting out the best deal to use the ferry system for the day. Seeing the rough Chao Phraya River for the first time with hundreds of boats going up and downstream is a sight to behold.
Women are sweeping the streets in the Silom district of Bangkok in Thailand
The Grand Palace and Wat Pho Temple
The Grand Palace would be on top of the list of things to see in Bangkok and it shows as you get closer. Outside the walls, dozens of buses are parked and large groups of tourists are waiting in long lines to enter.
We quickly altered our plans and headed for the Wat Pho temple where the lying Buddha can be seen.
Wat Pho is close to the Grand Palace, about a 10-minute walk, and the entry price of 100 Baht, $3.30 is one-fifth of the price to enter the Grand Palace. With that said, it was mostly the sight of the huge crowds that had us change our plans.
Exploring at the Wat Pho Temple
The 46-meter-long, 150 ft lying Buddha is the main attraction at the Wat Pho Temple but we were equally captivated by the display of hundreds of Buddha statues and pagodas.
Other than a short line to see the lying Buddha the Wat Pho temple was not busy and we could wander the complex and often find ourselves alone in a quiet corner being able to really appreciate the moment.
The 46-meter long Buddha at the Wat Pho Temple
Lunch in the Old Town
After our soup and pad thai lunch at a cozy little place in the Old Town we started walking toward Backpacker’s Row.
It didn’t take us long to reconsider this plan as tuk-tuks kept whisking by offering rides. In the midday heat, the tuk-tuk rides make a lot of sense.
Backpacker’s Row, Khao San Road, is known for inexpensive accommodation, cheap souvenirs, spas, Thai food, massages, and more. We thought we’d take a quick look and we ended up spending all of five minutes there.
We walked down the street and kept walking. I am sure if you are younger and want to hang out in clubs and bars this could be your ticket, but during the daytime, it looked dreary, very commercial, and like a worn-down tourist trap.
Backpacker’s Row, Khao San Road, Bangkok, Thailand
Wat Arun Temple
Jetlag was sneaking into us just as we passed a Starbucks. We agreed, we needed a good coffee in order to keep us going. We sat outside for a full hour and just people-watched and mapped out the last destination for the day, the Wat Arun Temple.
With a fresh dose of caffeine, we were ready to explore again and walked in the direction of the riverfront again where we hopped on another riverboat and crossed the river to the Wat Arun Temple. Another inexpensive but worthwhile attraction at 50 Baht, $1.65.
The Wat Arun Temple in Bangkok
The Wat Arun Temple was another wonderful stop and we casually wandered around the complex for a while. We climbed the stairs to the pagoda, did a few selfies, and merely took in the atmosphere before hopping on another ferry back to Silom Road.
From here we took the MTR back to the hostel. Except we took the train in the wrong direction but found out right away so no big deal.
Di at the Wat Arun Temple
Visa Trouble
After relaxing for a bit back at the hostel we headed out to buy swimming shorts for Morten and to find dinner.
We walked for quite a while but either the restaurants were too busy or we merely had a hard time deciding on a suitable spot. We did end up enjoying a nice dinner at a hotel near our hostel.
That would be the end of the pleasantries for the day. The agenda for the following day was our flight to Mandalay in Myanmar and we discovered we needed a visa.
We are still not sure how we could have missed this. Perhaps just the rush of Christmas and letting our guard down a bit.
We spent the remainder of the evening submitting an online application and crossed our fingers the visas would be in our email inbox the following morning.
Good evening Bangkok, Thaniya Road, Silom.
Bangkok Departure Day
We woke up early in order to meet our 11.10 am flight. We had to depart the hotel by 8:30. One problem though. Morten’s Myanmar visa had been emailed to us but Diana’s had not.
We knew this could become an issue checking in with the airline at the airport but we kept moving and crossed our fingers it would arrive in time.
After breakfast, we tried to hail a cab which proved to be harder than expected. The first two cab drivers had no idea when we mentioned we wanted to go to DMK Airport.
There are two international airports in Bangkok and we preferred to go to the correct airport on the first attempt. The third cab driver knew what we meant and off we were.
Silom Road. Try to hail a cab :)
Don Muaeng Aiport DMK
We arrived at DMK airport on time and made it as far as the check-in counter at Air Asia. Di’s Myanmar visa had still not arrived at this point and it was pretty much non-negotiable. Di was denied boarding.
The agent was kind enough and understood our situation. We told her the visa may come in at any moment but little did it help. We found out Air Asia would rebook us but only had one daily flight to Mandalay.
Not a great option. We would have to leave the airport and find accommodation for the night and cancel our first night in Mandalay without getting a refund plus paying a fee for the rescheduled flight.
DMK airport rest in Bangkok.
We decided to cool our jets, so to say, and Di had a rest while I refreshed my inbox every 5 seconds. There was still enough time that if the visa came in we could make our flight.
The clock was ticking and when we realized it was too late we decided to regroup over fresh coffee and croissants. Just as we had ordered our coffees Di’s visa trickled in via email. But… it was too late. (insert choice of swear words here).
Back to the drawing board but luckily we had decent Wi-Fi at the airport. Di took a deep breath and started searching for options. I drank my coffee and assured her it would all be okay in the end.
BKK Airport and our flight to Mandalay at 17:00.
We found a flight leaving Bangkok for Mandalay at 5 pm. The only caveat was; it was departing from “the other” airport in Bangkok, Suvarnabhumi Airport BKK.
We calculated time and extra expenses and figured, if everything would go without a hitch we could make the flight.
After a few moments of traveler’s anxiety, we decided to relax. We booked the flight, found another cab, and headed for BKK. Driving through the outskirts of Bangkok we could really see the sheer magnitude of this city.
Check-in went without a hitch, phew…, and when we finally were seated on the plane a calm satisfaction set in with anticipation of a new adventure and landing in Mandalay a couple of hours later.
On our way again. Bangkok to Mandalay
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The photos in this article are made using a Fujifilm X-Pro2. Lenses: XF 14mm f/2.8 R - XF 23mm f/1.4 R - XF 35mm f/1.4 R - XF 90mm f/2 R LM WR (links to camera and lens reviews). Editing was done in Capture One Express. I used Fujifilm film simulations for some of the photos.
