Bangkok: a city that never lets you get bored
Bangkok overwhelms at first, but wins you over within 48 hours. Golden temple spires, street food for next to nothing, night markets and unexpectedly quiet canals — all in one city that never stops reinventing itself.
The first thing you notice in Bangkok is the smell. Jasmine and lemongrass from street stalls mix with tuk-tuk exhaust. Then you notice the scale: 11 million people, 50 districts, skyscrapers next to wooden houses on stilts. But that contradiction is exactly what Bangkok is — a city that never tried to make sense of itself, and that's why it works.
Three hours in the Old City
Wat Pho first: the 46-metre Reclining Buddha is gold from the tips of its feet to its heels. Entry 200 baht (~₽500); traditional Thai massage inside for 420 baht (1 hour). This is the massage whose 2,500-year-old technique is inscribed on stone tablets right here, inside the monastery. Nearby Wat Arun — best viewed from the opposite bank of the Chao Phraya at 6am when it glows pink in the rising sun. A ferry crosses for 5 baht.
Wat Saket (Golden Mount) — 344 steps, a relic of the Buddha from India kept at the summit. From here: the only panoramic view of Bangkok where there are no other skyscrapers on the horizon. Come at sunset for the gold light on the rooftops.
The river as transport
Chao Phraya Express boats are the cheapest and most convenient way to reach the Old City, markets and riverside. Single fare: 15–40 baht depending on the route flag. The tourist blue-flag route costs more (50 baht) but runs more frequently. Long-tail boats can be hired for an hour (~₽1,200) to explore all the Thonburi canals — the old city on the western bank where life looks unchanged since the 1970s.
Food: the street scene
Pad Thai at Or Tor Kor market: 60 baht. Som Tam (green papaya salad): 50 baht — spicier than you expect the first time. At Chatuchak Weekend Market: mango sorbet for 40 baht and hundreds of antique stalls. Michelin-starred restaurants here are more affordable than a European café: Jay Fai, a street kitchen with 1 Michelin star, lunch from ₽2,000. Wattana Panich, beef soup on the same recipe for 45 years — 120 baht.
Neighbourhoods for different moods
- Silom and Sathon. Business district, skyscrapers, best rooftop bars. Sky Bar on the 63rd floor — real, free entry, cocktail from 500 baht.
- Chinatown (Yaowarat). Gold signs, dim sum at 5am, bakeries open since the 1930s. Come at night — from 8pm the street is closed to traffic and becomes a food market.
- Ari and Saphan Khwai. Quiet residential area with third-wave cafés, independent galleries and a Saturday organic market. Young Bangkok, no tourists.
- Thonburi. West bank of the river — almost no tourist infrastructure. Old canals, floating markets, Buddhist monasteries and life unchanged since the 1970s.
Getting around
BTS Skytrain: 17–59 baht per journey. A Rabbit Card (~₽500 deposit) saves time at ticket machines. MRT (metro) covers other areas; transfers between lines are free within 30 minutes. Grab taxis offer fixed fares — more reliable than street taxis. Direct flight from Moscow SVO → BKK, 9.5 hours. Best season: November–February, +28°C, dry.