I’m always fascinated by people’s suggestions on this sub. Sometimes I agree and sometimes I don’t. There are places that I see people recommending and just wonder, “why?” Sometimes it’s because those places are terrible and sometimes they’re nothing particularly special.
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I’m always fascinated by people’s suggestions on this sub. Sometimes I agree and sometimes I don’t. There are places that I see people recommending and just wonder, “why?” Sometimes it’s because those places are terrible and sometimes they’re nothing particularly special. Thought, I’d offer some suggestions for places that you can skip without worrying about missing much. Here goes:
Sky Bar at Lebua Tower: The inspiration for this list. Nice view, but not a particularly nice bar and with outrageous prices. People want to go here is because it was in the The Hangover… Part II!? That’s a pretty stupid reason to go anywhere. But putting that aside for a moment, everything about the place feels set up to rip you off. There are actually a few different bars on top of the Lebua Tower and as soon as you get off the elevator a hostess will try to guide you to one of the more expensive ones. When you manage to escape and make it to the bar you came for, you’ll be met with a menu where the cheapest drink is THB900. Why?
Terminal 21: Unlike Sky Bar, it’s not that you shouldn’t go here. It’s that you’re not missing out if you don’t. It’s a mall, and there are plenty of malls in Bangkok. Many are newer and some are cheaper. The main attraction is the very cheap food court, but even the not cheap food courts in Bangkok are pretty reasonable. I’ll go even further and say, if you’re not interested in the red light activities, you can skip Asoke and Lower Sukhumvit all together. There are other nightlife areas in Bangkok.
Floating Markets: Long story short: Bangkok used to be a city of canals. Many homes and businesses were built on these canals and boats were used for commerce. The idea of a “floating market” isn’t really a thing. The current floating markets were purpose-built to be tourist attractions. Nothing wrong with that, but why waste a day driving out to one of these places only be greeted with mediocre plates of pad thai and cheap knick-knacks?
Asiatique Night Market: I didn’t like much about this place. The food offerings are high-priced and mediocre, the location is out of the way, and it’s not a particularly charming place. If you time it right, you could have a nice sunset drink at one of the bars right on the river, maybe ride the ferris wheel, but there’s still the issue of getting there and away. The ride there on the river is nice, but when it’s time to leave you’ll be fighting crowds. Even trying to get out of there by taxi or Grab is a hassle.
Khoa San Rd: My first trip to Bangkok, I hit the Grand Palace and the reclining Buddha and Nana Plaza and Khao San Rd. I was staying with a friend who taught English in Bangkok and, if I remember correctly, he took me out to Khao San my first full night in the city. It was a great night. Almost 20 years later, I hit up Khao San Rd on a recent trip. I can’t say it hasn’t changed, but it’s still backpacker central. If you’re of a certain age, literally or mentally, you can have a blast on Khao San Rd, but you can also find a nicer, quieter version of everything it has to offer somewhere else in Bangkok.
That’s my list so far. Curious to know if people agree or disagree. Is there something on this list that visitors to Bangkok definitely should see? Are there any other commonly suggested spots that people shouldn’t feel obligated to visit or should just skip outright?
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