Bangkok is enormous, the traffic is legendary and the heat is unforgiving — but with the right plan, two days deliver an intoxicating first taste.
Day 1: Temples and the river
08:15 — The Grand Palace & Wat Phra Kaew. Gates open at 8:30; be there fifteen minutes early. The Emerald Buddha is Thailand's most sacred image. Dress code: shoulders and knees covered — strictly enforced.
10:30 — Wat Pho. A short walk away: the 46-meter Reclining Buddha and the traditional massage school — a massage inside the temple grounds is the perfect recovery from the heat.
12:30 — Cross the river to Wat Arun. The crossing ferry costs a few baht. The "Temple of Dawn" is sheathed in porcelain mosaic, and you can climb partway up the central prang for river views.
16:00 — Ride the Chao Phraya. The orange-flag express boat is genuine public transport for pennies — a tourist cruise at a tenth of the price.
19:00 — Chinatown (Yaowarat). One of Asia's great street-food districts: charcoal-grilled seafood, flaming woks of noodles, and mango sticky rice. Walk Yaowarat Road and eat wherever a queue has formed.
Day 2: Markets, neighborhoods, sunset
08:00 — Chatuchak (weekends) or the flower market. Chatuchak is among the world's biggest markets: some 15,000 stalls. On weekdays: Pak Khlong Talat, the 24-hour flower market.
12:00 — The Jim Thompson House. The home of the American silk magnate who vanished in 1967 — six teak houses on a canal, and one of the city's loveliest small museums.
15:00 — Siam. Two air-conditioned hours in the mega-malls — in Bangkok, this too is local culture.
18:00 — A rooftop at sunset. Bangkok is Asia's rooftop-bar capital; most enforce smart-casual dress. One cocktail sixty floors up is worth the price.
20:00 — The farewell dinner. Pad thai, tom yum and coconut soup at one last street table — you should leave Bangkok with chili on your lips.
Getting around: the BTS Skytrain and MRT are fast and cool. Between stations, a motorbike taxi beats any traffic jam — agree the fare first.
