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Maha Chai (½ day)
If you like to travel very cheap, go really local and you have a spare afternoon, go to Maha Chai, a fisherman village about an hour travelling from Bangkok.
First you have to go to Wongwian Yai railway station at the Thonburi side of the river in Bangkok. From there you can take a very local train to the village. Trains leave approximately every 50 minutes until 7 pm. A ticket for local people is free, a ticket for ‘Farangs’, as they call foreigners, is 10 Baht.
The ride to Maha Chai takes about 50 minutes and it makes several stops. You drive through markets, small villages and almost through people’s living room or kitchen. The ride is a wonderful experience.
In Maha Chai you can visit the local fish market or a fish restaurant. And remember; if you like it fresher, you’ll have to catch it yourself. A good and affordable restaurant for example is Lab Lom, which is visited by the Thai King and Queen.
Another good experience out of the bustling city is to make a boat ride through the Maha Chai harbour. There are several people who will approach you for that. A reasonable price is about 400 Baht for half an hour or 800 baht for one hour. And make time for some Kodak moments before you take a train back to Bangkok.
Ayutthaya (1 day)
There are several ways to go there. You can take a taxi for a day (But you need to tell the driver exactly where you want to go), you can go by train (still you have to arrange your transportation in Ayutthaya, which is a bit expensive), You can go by bus (same problem as by train), or go by boat (only there are no scheduled boat services).
A very complete and convenient way to see Ayutthaya is a package. There are several operators, for example Grand Pearl Cruises or River Sun Cruises. Early morning you depart by bus from River City (next to Royal orchid Sheraton). In one hour you drive to Bang Pa-in Palace. Next you will visit three of Ayutthaya’s most famous temples in the old centre of Ayutthaya. Wat Phrasrisanphet, Wihan Phramongkhon Bophit with a huge golden Buddha and Wat Mahatad with the famous Buddha face in a tree.
After those visits you go back to Bangkok on a relaxing cruise boat while enjoying a lunch buffet. Prices are approximately 1.950 Baht per person. A lot more then do-it-yourself, but it’s very convenient and complete. It’s worth it.
Wat Po and massage school (1 hr + 1 hr)
Wat Po is one of the biggest temples in Bangkok and it’s located next to the Royal Palace. It’s a beautiful place to visit. It’s home of the big golden Buddha.
Besides that Wat Po is also known as the birthplace of traditional Thai massage. Inside the complex is a massage school, where you can get a wonderful massage for a reasonable price. So plan you visit late afternoon after you walked a lot through town and need to relax a bit.
Floating Market (½ day)
A market at the water is always wonderful, but if you want to see one of Bangkok’s floating markets, you have to get up very early, as the markets are running only in the morning. At these markets you see small boats in tiny canals with beautiful people selling their goods like fresh fruits, vegetables and food. But most of all it’s absolutely picturesque to see. Bringing a camera is mandatory!
You can go to Damnoen Saduak market outside Bangkok. Take a bus from the Southern Bus Terminal (+66 (0)2 434 5557-8) to Samut Sangkhram Ratchaburi province, 80 km southwest of Bangkok. You can then walk along the passageway to the market, or take a boat to the market pier. The nicest way to experience the market is to be on a boat yourself.
Canal tour by long tail boat ( 1 - 2 hrs)
Tell the boat driver exactly where you want to go, how long the tour will be and how much it will cost, and preferably before you leave. Not all of the drivers speak English very well, so someone else’s help is needed sometimes.
There are many places where you can start your tour. A good one is under ‘Saphan Taksin’ Sky train station. Prices are about 1.000 to 1.500 Baht for one or 1½ hour tour and a boat can hold about 6-8 people.
Discover Bangkok on a bicycle (3 hrs)
It sounds a bit dangerous to go on a bicycle in Bangkok’s crazy traffic, but it is not. Actually it’s really wonderful. You drive through markets and people’s kitchen! You cross the river with a boat and bike along canals and temples.
There are several operators to do the tour. The first one ever started it is Co van Kessel. Then there’s Bangkok Bike Riders or the Amazing Bangkok Cyclist.
Red Cross snake farm (3 hrs)
You can see many species in the snake museum and twice a day there is a snake handling show. Visitors are given a quick overview of some of Thailand’s most dangerous snakes and of the Institute’s production of anti-venom. Experienced snake handlers tangle with Cobras, Kraits, and Vipers. You may even get to hold a 2-meter long Python.
The snake farm is found on 1871 Rama IV road. The closest Sky train stop is Saladaeng. The shows begin at 11 am and 2.30 pm on weekdays and 11 am on holidays. The admission is 200 Baht for foreigners and 40 Baht for Thais.
Ancient Siam (½ day)
Ancient Siam is the world's largest open-air museum. It occupies an area of 200 acres. Construction began in the latter part of 1963. This unique attraction is the center of scaled-down and actual-size replicas of important historical sites of various provinces such as Prasat Hin Phanom Rung, Wat Mahathat Sukhothai, Phraphuttabat Saraburi, Phrathat Mueang Nakhon, Phrathat Chaiya, and much more.
Furthermore, there are rare traditional folk arts and cultures, some of which are hard to come by nowadays. For those who wish to learn about Thailand, they will not be disappointed here. There are several places where you can buy drinks and a wonderful place to eat is the old floating market.
The entrance fee is 350 Baht for foreigners. The opening hours are 8 am to 5 pm. It’s advisable to go there early as you can easily spend a whole day in there. There are hop-on-hop-off busses, you can walk, bike or rent an electrical min car to travel around.
Ancient Siam is located at Tambon Bang Pu Mai, at Km. 33.5 of the old Sukhumvit Road, 8 kilometres from Samut Prakan town. You can take a taxi from Bangkok, this will take you about 45 minutes. Drive to Samut Prakan on Sukhumwit Road. As you arrive in Samut Prakan, turn left taking the bypass around the city following the signs for Chon Buri. From the City Hall it is 8,1 km. If you are driving on Srinakarin Road, drive to the end of the road and turn left. From the intersection, Ancient Siam is 6,92 km.
Koh Samed
If you like to go to a small island nearby Bangkok, visit our Koh Samed page.
Koh Kood & Koh Mak
If you like to visit Thailands most unspoiled islands, visit our Koh Kood & Koh Mak page.
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Language of the world
Of course you like to speak a few words of the local language onboard the plane or at your destination. Here you find some simple basics of the main language spoken in Bangkok.