48 Hours in Bangkok
Diana outside the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand
2-Day Bangkok Itinerary
Gateway to Southeast Asia
In spring 2017, we flew directly from Siem Reap to Phuket, Thailand. The original plan 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, and it would take 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 quickly found the Metro MRT.
We arrived by Metro (MRT) to Si Lom Station on Silom Road in Bangkok
We had a conversation on the train with a young backpacker from San Francisco. He had just started his journey, and his eyes were filled with excitement.
HQ Hostel Silom
It was only about 500 meters from the Si Lom MRT station to our HQ Hostel Silom hostel, 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 and 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. However, it was located on the 5th floor of a building without an elevator.
As you climb each floor, the steps have markings indicating how many calories you have burned to reach this point. The 5th-floor location made us think twice before leaving the room to ensure 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 is on your immediate right.
The pond and fountain at Lumphini Park, Bangkok
Take one or two steps further into the room. 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, so we took our time to walk the trails, sit on a park bench, and watch what was going on around us. It was 34 degrees Celsius.
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 in an open area along the path.
Trees with huge trunks and branches swaying over the pond, green foliage, and moist air made the park feel tropical.
Dinner in Silom
We left the park as the sun fell 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, the 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 when you wake up. Bangkok has a population of more than 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 hostel's room rate, 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 the journey to and from the attractions is the most memorable.
The tuk-tuk ride in the early morning, seeing the street sweepers clean the city roads 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 and 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 is at the 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 fee is 100 Baht, $3.30, which is one-fifth of the price to enter the Grand Palace. 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-foot-long 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. We could wander the complex and often found ourselves alone in a quiet corner, allowing us 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 rides made 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 that we needed a good coffee to keep us going. We sat outside for a full hour, people-watching and mapping 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, where we hopped on another riverboat and crossed the river to the Wat Arun Temple. Another inexpensive but worthwhile attraction, costing 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 Morten swimming shorts and find dinner.
We walked for quite a while, but either the restaurants were too busy or we had difficulty deciding on a suitable spot. We enjoyed 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 unsure 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 that the visas would be in our email inbox the following morning.
Good evening Bangkok, Thaniya Road, Silom.
Bangkok Departure Day
We woke up early to meet our 11.10 a.m. 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 checking in with the airline at the airport could become an issue, but we kept moving and crossed our fingers that it would arrive in time.
After breakfast, we tried to hail a cab, which was 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. At this point, Di’s Myanmar visa had still not arrived, 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 it did little to help. We discovered Air Asia would rebook us, but only had one daily flight to Mandalay—not a great option.
We would have to leave the airport, find accommodation for the night, and cancel our first night in Mandalay without getting a refund, plus pay a fee for the rescheduled flight.
DMK airport rest in Bangkok.
We decided to cool our jets, so to speak, and Di rested while I refreshed my inbox every five 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 coffee, Di’s visa trickled in via email. But… it was too late. (Insert choice of swear words here.)
It was 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 p.m. The only caveat was that it was departing from “the other” airport in Bangkok, Suvarnabhumi Airport BKK.
We calculated time and extra expenses and figured that if everything went 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.
