Destination: Bangkok

Played around with map illustration in Canva :)

Bangkok doesn’t introduce itself all at once. It unfolds in layers: the tangle of cars, motorbikes, and tuktuks negotiating space with a rhythm that somehow works; the lively chatter of a language that you don’t understand but you find welcoming; the intoxicating scent of incense or the mouthwatering aroma of garlic and fish sauce rising from a street cart in an alley too narrow for Google Maps to find. You don’t understand it right away but as it moves the way it always does - bright, busy, and unapologetically vibrant - you will find yourself easing into it.

This isn’t a place you conquer with a checklist.  Bangkok isn’t a city you “do.” The city makes itself known not through landmarks, but through sensations. It’s one you learn to move with, slowly, until it starts to feel like a rhythm you almost recognize.

In this guide, I’m not handing you a checklist of “must-sees.” I’m offering you moments - ones that helped me find a rhythm in the city as I made slow discoveries amidst the sensory overload, whether I was slurping heavenly tom yum from a street food market or discovering a city’s sense of pride in continuing to make things by hand.

Stay

Tucked in a convenient spot in the Sam Yan area, the Mandarin Hotel is a quiet standout: polished without being pretentious and calm without feeling cut off. The beds are generous, the service warm, and the breakfast buffet is generous enough to tempt you into lingering. It’s close to the MRT but also to local food spots and leisurely walks around the neighborhood. Bangkok is a big city and so it helps to come home to a space that doesn’t try too hard, but gets everything right.

Eat

Ugly delicious

Somboon Seafood

There is always a line, the place is always full, and the fried crab curry is famous for a reason. Somboon feels celebratory, even on a random weekday, thanks to its hefty serving of a decadent pile of crab meat, egg, and curry. The only thing that would make the dish even more delicious is when it’s piled onto hot white rice.

Mango sticky rice

You’ll find it everywhere, but that doesn’t mean it’s all the same. The best versions come with rice that’s warm but not mushy, mango that’s chilled and is very sweet, and just the right pour of salted coconut cream. It’s dessert, yes, but also the perfect nightcap to end every day in Bangkok with a cup of tea and you are tucked into your hotel bathrobe.

Pad Thai

Thipsamai’s pad thai is rich, smoky, slightly sweet, and wrapped in that signature egg crepe like a surprise waiting to be torn open. Baan PhadThai’s, on the other hand, may just be what your everyday pad thai may look like if your pad thai of choice has generous chunks of crab folded into the noodles.

Tom yum from a random street food market

Street food

Some of the most memorable meals you’ll have in Bangkok won’t come from restaurants but from carts and stalls tucked into corners of alleys or a shopping mall. I have come to realize that you don’t even need a map to find good street food. Trust your nose and let the city serve you something quick and unforgettable.

Do

Get a Thai massage.

There are massages, and then there are Thai massages. Equal parts stretch, strength, and stillness, it’s a kind of reset your body didn’t know it needed. Whether you go upscale or simple, a Thai massage feels like being gently unwound and put back together. You leave feeling softened, stretched, and subtly realigned. It is also surprisingly affordable.

Visit Chatuchak Market.

Come hydrated and unhurried. Chatuchak is part market, part maze, and entirely addictive. You’ll find everything but my favorites were the independent local clothing, bag, and jewelry brands, secondhand books, the best-smelling lemongrass soap, and, of course, the ubiquitous herbal inhalers that one must simply hoard.

Support local crafts.

Beyond the usual souvenirs, Bangkok has a thriving scene of makers and artisans. From herbal balms and handmade soaps to handwoven bags, the city offers plenty that’s thoughtful and beautifully crafted.

Explore the coffee culture.

Bangkok takes its coffee seriously. You’ll find sleek, minimal cafes with single-origin pour overs but also playful twists like orange espresso or coconut Americanos that taste like vacation in a cup. The café interiors are often just as thoughtful as the coffee. Expect concrete or wooden counters, soft lighting, and playlists that make you want to linger. It’s both a sip and a scene.

Bangkok doesn’t smooth its edges or slow down for visitors. But if you let it, the city offers itself in small, generous ways: the sweetest mangoes you’ll still think about long after, hands pressed together in quiet gratitude, the soft pace of everyday life unfolding amidst the noise and color. I didn’t “do it all” and I’m glad. What I did instead was look, eat, listen, and pause. It’s a city best felt, not rushed. I hope you let the city meet you the way it met me: moment by moment.