Bangkok Hotels & Travel Guide

Bangkok is on the same line of latitude as Guatemala City and Khartoum, so it experiences a similarly hot and humid tropical climate where the average temperature never falls below 25 degrees C. The hottest time of the year is between April and May when the average temperature pushes 30 degrees C. As Bangkok is tropical, it experiences a monsoon season in September when the average rainfall reaches a staggering average of 350 mm. The best time to visit is usually considered any time between November and February as cooling breezes keep the temperature to a much more tolerable range with the maximum temperature rarely reaching 32 degrees C.

Bangkok is a city of life and vitality, with something going on every street corner. With so much to see and do, it can be hard knowing where to start. A cycling tour of Bangkok can help you to see as much of it as possible, or if you don’t like the idea of cycling in the heat or are just a shameless technology fan, take the tour on a Segway. Visiting a city like Bangkok and only taking in tourist hotspots is a crying shame; head down to one of the local markets, particularly the huge and buzzing weekend Chatuchak market to get a sense of the intensity of Bangkok life and pick up some great bargains at the same time. Khaosan Road is the party capital of Bangkok thanks to the successful book and film ‘The Beach’. A 1km long strip of bars, hostels and nightclubs, the road has become the epitome of holiday fun.

While British citizens don’t require a visa to enter Thailand provided their stay is less than 30 days, there are some things you still need to take into account before you go. Most importantly is your health - to visit Thailand you need several injections for vaccinations against tuberculosis and diphtheria as well as others. As soon as you decide to go, visit your GP and they will recommend which inoculations in particular you require. You don’t need yellow fever to visit Bangkok but if you are travelling around Asia, you may need a yellow fever certificate if you are arriving in Thailand from an infected area, so make sure you explain your whole trip. Bangkok has some great medical facilities should you fall ill; however, medical bills can be pricy so take out a good travel insurance policy that covers medical costs.

Bangkok is on the same line of latitude as Guatemala City and Khartoum, so it experiences a similarly hot and humid tropical climate where the average temperature never falls below 25 degrees C. The hottest time of the year is between April and May when the average temperature pushes 30 degrees C. As Bangkok is tropical, it experiences a monsoon season in September when the average rainfall reaches a staggering average of 350 mm. The best time to visit is usually considered any time between November and February as cooling breezes keep the temperature to a much more tolerable range with the maximum temperature rarely reaching 32 degrees C.

The Thai government recently took measures to combat the congestion by constructing the Skytrain. With two lines covering most of the city, you can get around fairly easily; fares cost between 15 and 40 baht (31p and 82p), or you can buy an unlimited travel pass for 120 baht per day. Back on the ground and there are several ways to get around. Taxis are all air conditioned and offer the most comfortable option but many drivers will try to maximise a tourist’s fare or refuse to use the meter, so either agree on a price beforehand or insist on using the meter. The most authentic way of getting around Bangkok however is in either a tuk-tuk or a songthaew. A tuk-tuk is a motorised rickshaw and fares can be anything up to 400 Baht (£8.15) so again, agree a fare before you set off. A songthaew is a converted pickup truck which is used as an improvised bus and can be great for short journeys; they are quite cheap but there are no dedicated stops so it’s unlikely you can use them for your entire trip.

How to get to Bangkok

Bangkok has some of the most varied accommodation of anywhere in the world. Everything from luxury spa resorts to bargain dorms can be found relatively easily. As the original backpackers’ paradise, Khaosan Road is full of hostels and bed and breakfasts where you can pay as little as 85 baht (£1.73) per night for a dorm room. As the prices increase, so do the facilities and many people feel the extra cost is necessary, particularly for air conditioning. If backpacking isn’t your scene, Bangkok also has a range of deluxe hotels and resorts where every luxury is catered to including swimming pools, spas and restaurants. A night in a five star Bangkok hotel can be had for 3,400 baht (£170) per night.

Bangkok has been the cultural, political and spiritual centre of Thailand for generations. While the rest of the country has often remained unaffected, Bangkok has been the scene of the majority of Thailand’s defining events. Bangkok’s rise to prominence can be traced back to 1782 when the first king of the Chakri royal dynasty - still in power today - King Rama I was crowned. The newly crowned king used thousands of prisoners of war to construct a vast network of canals which are still in use today. Bangkok was originally known as Bang Makok by foreign traders; this eventually became Bangkok but to the Thais, the city is still referred to as Krung Thep or the City of Angels.

Thai cuisine is so popular that successful restaurants dedicated to the art have sprung up across the globe. Using a blend of the five taste types, bitter, sweet, sour, spicy and salty, Thai cuisine uses an assortment of meat, fish, vegetables and fruit to create eye catching, colourful dishes that are as healthy as they are delicious. There are thousands of places to eat dotted around Bangkok, from street stalls selling banana pancakes and small cartons of Pad Thai, the Thai national dish to upscale restaurants selling two of the most luxurious and rarest dishes in the world: birds nest soup made from the hardened saliva of swallows’ nests and shark fin soup. If you want an eating experience but perhaps don’t fancy spending your entire budget, there are plenty of street stalls selling novelty snacks like deep fried grass hoppers or scorpions. If you’d rather stick to conventional Thai food like Kang Keaw Wan Gai, a green chicken curry or Tom Yam Goong, a spicy prawn soup. If the thought of even this causes your stomach concern you will still find a plethora of international restaurants offering plenty of western food for the gastronomically wary traveller.

Bangkok may have become a tourist’s paradise but beneath the exterior of flashing lights and cheap alcohol is a country with deep values; a visit to Wat Arun, the Temple of Dawn is a breathtaking example of the Thai’s dedication to spiritual meaning. Another great spiritual stop is Wat Pho, or the Old City. The largest temple in Thailand, Wat Pho, is home to a giant, 46 m long reclining Buddha. The Old City isn’t just about spirituality though and is one of the best places in Bangkok to indulge yourself in a Thai massage. Damnoen Saduak is Bangkok’s floating market and the original pioneer of the idea. One of the most authentic experiences in the world, visitors can marvel at the simplicity and ingenuity as traders sell everything from fresh fruit to souvenirs.