GTB Verdict: Loved it

Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC) is one of my favourite places to escape the crowds, shopping and heat around Siam. Sitting right next to MBK and opposite the Siam shopping district, it’s incredibly easy to visit and completely free to enter.

The 11-storey building is an experience in itself, with a huge central atrium and spiral walkways leading past small galleries, design and craft stores, bookshops and cafés. As you make your way higher, the spaces open into larger galleries showcasing the main contemporary art exhibitions.

One of the things I love about BACC is that the exhibitions and cultural events are constantly changing, so there’s always a reason to come back. I’ve visited several times now and the experience is different each time.

I particularly love meeting friends here, slowly making our way around the different levels, seeing whatever exhibition is currently on, browsing the shops and finishing with a coffee. It’s an easy way to spend a couple of hours without needing much of a plan.

BACC is open every day except Monday and entry is free. If you’re already exploring Siam or just need a break from Bangkok’s midday heat, definitely step inside.

Another Bangkok art space I keep coming back to. Maybe I really am becoming an art person after all.

GTB Verdict: Must do

Ice baths are everywhere right now, but if you ask me, this is one wellness trend that lives up to the hype. If you’ve never tried one before, I think it’s an experience worth doing at least once.

For me, it’s become a regular part of life in Bangkok. My go-to is ReChill, partly because the Thonglor location is close to home, but also because I genuinely love the whole experience. I always walk out feeling relaxed and recharged, and my body usually feels great the following day.

The idea is contrast therapy, moving between cold and heat. I normally start by lowering myself into an ice bath - which never gets any easier! Before escaping to the sauna, where the heat feels absolutely incredible after the cold. There’s also a steam room and hot tub, and you can keep moving between them throughout your session.

It’s the contrast that I love. One minute you’re questioning every life decision as you sit surrounded by ice, and a few minutes later you’re completely relaxed in the sauna. Then somehow you convince yourself to get back into the ice bath and do it all over again.

There are plenty of places offering ice baths and contrast therapy around Bangkok, but ReChill has become my regular.

Both locations are beautiful but have a different feel. Asoke has a lush outdoor garden setting, while Thonglor is a more elevated rooftop experience, with a covered area for rainy days and much larger sauna, hot pool and ice bath facilities. I enjoy both, but if I had to choose, Thonglor is definitely my favourite.

If you’ve never tried an ice bath before, Bangkok is a great place to give it a go. And if you’re visiting and need an afternoon away from sightseeing, shopping and the general craziness of the city, this is a completely different way to spend a few hours.

For me, ReChill is a little Bangkok escape where I always leave feeling like I’ve done something good for my body and my mind.

GTB Verdict: Favourite

If Rajadamnern Stadium is the Muay Thai experience I’d recommend to someone visiting Bangkok for the first time, a ONE Championship event at Lumpinee Stadium is where I’d send anyone who genuinely loves martial arts.

ONE Championship brings together elite fighters across Muay Thai, kickboxing and other combat sports, and the level of competition is incredible. We’ve watched UFC live before, but experiencing ONE at Lumpinee is something completely different.

These are live broadcast events, the atmosphere is electric and the crowd feels much more local than at some of Bangkok’s more tourist-focused experiences. When a Thai fighter enters the ring, the support from the crowd goes to another level.

We’re lucky that the Muay Thai club my hubby trains at often has tickets available, so we’ve been able to attend regularly and I absolutely love it. The more events we go to, the more appreciation I have for the skill, discipline and courage of the fighters stepping into that ring.

I should warn you though, it can be brutal. These fighters give absolutely everything. I’ve seen some nasty injuries and fighters leave the ring in wheelchairs or on stretchers, but I’ve also witnessed incredible knockouts, huge wins and those moments where the entire stadium erupts and you get completely caught up in it.

Lumpinee Stadium is quite a journey from central Bangkok, so allow plenty of time to get there. But if you love Muay Thai or combat sports, it is absolutely worth the trip.

For the classic Bangkok Muay Thai experience, I’d still recommend Rajadamnern Stadium. But if you want to watch some seriously high-level fighting and experience the energy of a live ONE Championship event, Lumpinee is my favourite.

GTB Verdict: Must do

If you live in Bangkok or you’re visiting, I think watching Muay Thai at Rajadamnern Stadium is one of those experiences you have to do at least once.

We’ve been twice now and the whole event is an experience. From the moment the fights begin, the atmosphere and energy inside the stadium are on another level. There’s audience participation, music, championship fights and some seriously impressive Muay Thai. Everything about it feels exciting and much grander than simply going to watch a few fights.

Rajadamnern is one of Bangkok’s legendary Muay Thai stadiums, with its own rankings and championship titles. Watching the fighters up close also gives you a completely different appreciation for the sport - the speed, technique, strength and skill involved are incredible.

Even if you know very little about Muay Thai, I don’t think that matters. The atmosphere alone makes it a great Bangkok experience, and it’s an easy one to recommend when friends or family come to visit.

Now that we live in Bangkok, we actually prefer going to the ONE Championship events at Lumpinee Stadium for our regular fight nights. But for someone wanting the more traditional Bangkok Muay Thai stadium experience, I’d choose Rajadamnern.

We’ll no doubt be back again the next time someone comes to visit us.

GTB Verdict: Loved it

River City Bangkok is one of those places I keep coming back to because there always seems to be something new happening. Tucked between Talat Noi and Song Wat along the Chao Phraya River, it’s a multi-level arts and lifestyle centre filled with galleries, exhibitions and creative spaces.

You’ll find everything from contemporary Thai art and international exhibitions to immersive multimedia installations, photography, antiques and independent galleries. There are also specialty shops selling art, crafts, books, clothing and other interesting finds, along with regular events, talks and live music.

If you’re exploring Talat Noi and Song Wat, River City is the perfect place to escape Bangkok’s mid-afternoon heat for a couple of hours. Wander through the air-conditioned galleries, see what exhibitions are on and then continue exploring the neighbourhood once it cools down outside.

Because we live here, we’ll sometimes come to River City specifically to see what’s new. We can easily spend a couple of hours browsing the different exhibitions, listening to live music and just enjoying the space. Many of the exhibitions are free too, which makes it somewhere you can keep returning to without needing a particular reason.

I know I’ve said I’m not really an art or museum person, but maybe Bangkok is slowly changing me! Between places like MOCA and River City, I’m definitely starting to appreciate it more.

River City is open daily from 10am–8pm, and many exhibitions offer free entry. If you’re visiting Bangkok, I’d definitely add it to an afternoon exploring Talat Noi and Song Wat.

One of my favourite creative spaces in Bangkok and somewhere I know I’ll keep returning to.

GTB Verdict: Loved it

From the moment we stepped out of the MRT station, I could smell the flowers.

Pak Khlong Talat is Bangkok’s huge wholesale flower market, with stalls spreading around Chak Phet Road towards the Chao Phraya River. It’s open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and while it might not be a typical Bangkok tourist attraction, that’s part of what I love about it.

You can wander through rows and rows of roses, orchids, carnations and seemingly endless marigolds, watching flowers being bundled, sold and transported around the city. It feels like a glimpse into everyday Bangkok life rather than somewhere created for tourists.

This was a real find for me. I loved my first visit and I’ve kept coming back, usually heading home with a huge bunch of beautiful flowers for a surprisingly reasonable price.

If you’re visiting Bangkok, I think it’s a great place for an evening wander before heading towards the river or into the Old Town for dinner. And if you live in Bangkok and love having fresh flowers at home, this is absolutely where you need to buy them.

GTB Verdict: Loved it

MOCA Bangkok is absolutely worth the journey out of central Bangkok. It took us around an hour to get there, but there’s now an MRT station right near the museum, which makes the trip much easier.

The five-storey Museum of Contemporary Art houses more than 800 works of modern and contemporary Thai art from the private collection of Boonchai Bencharongkul. The collection is huge, with everything from incredibly detailed, hyper-realistic paintings that almost look like photographs to abstract works, sculptures, mixed media and digital art.

I’m not usually a huge museum person, but I absolutely loved our visit here. There were so many pieces I felt like I could stare at for ages and keep noticing something different. That’s actually one of the reasons I’d come back; I’m sure I’d see completely different things in the same artworks next time.

Another thing I loved was how peaceful it was. Unlike some of Bangkok’s major tourist attractions, the galleries are spacious, air-conditioned and weren’t crowded when we visited, so we could take our time wandering around.

We spent about 1.5 hours here, although you could easily stay longer if you really take your time with the collection. There’s also a café onsite. We didn’t eat there, but a friend has told me the food is really good.

Entry was 400 THB when we visited, and the museum is closed on Mondays. I’d also recommend dressing neatly for your visit.

Even with the travel time, this was easily one of my favourite museum experiences in Bangkok and somewhere I’ll definitely visit again.

GTB Verdict: One-time visit

Jim Thompson was an American who settled in Thailand after World War II and became famous for helping take Thai silk to the international fashion world. His canal-side home, now a museum, is made up of six traditional Thai teak houses and is filled with his collection of Southeast Asian art.

We joined one of the guided tours, which takes you through the house and tells the story of Thompson’s life, including his mysterious disappearance in Malaysia in 1967, which has never been solved.

I enjoyed the visit, but I actually would have loved to learn more about the Thai silk business itself - how the silk was made, the local community involved and how Thompson turned it into an international brand. His home was deliberately built across the canal from the community of silk weavers he worked with, but the tour focuses much more on the house and his art collection.

There’s also a Jim Thompson store onsite (beautiful, but expensive!) and a lovely restaurant where we stayed for lunch afterwards. I’d recommend going in the morning before the Bangkok heat really kicks in and allowing some extra time for lunch if you want the full experience.

GTB Verdict: Didn’t get the hype

Ari is often described as one of Bangkok’s trendiest neighbourhoods, known for its leafy streets, cafés, restaurants and more creative, independent feel. It’s also really easy to reach; just take the BTS Green Line and get off at Ari station.

There are some beautiful houses tucked along the quieter streets, mixed with newer apartment buildings, hipster fashion boutiques, a couple of small art galleries and a seemingly endless number of places to eat and drink.

But honestly, I didn’t really get the hype.

Unless you have the appetite to stop and eat at every café and restaurant along the way, I found there wasn’t actually that much to explore. Some of the boutiques were quite expensive, the galleries we visited had very little on display, and the community-style malls and creative spaces we wandered through felt surprisingly empty and like they were missing something.

That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t come back. I definitely would, but probably to meet friends for brunch, dinner or coffee rather than to spend the day exploring the neighbourhood itself. We had a great brunch at FRAN’S Ari, which I’ve already added to my Eat · Drink · Work guide, and there are plenty of other restaurants here I’d like to try.

If you love café hopping, Ari could be exactly what you’re looking for. But as a Bangkok neighbourhood to explore, I much prefer places like Talat Noi and Song Wat, where there’s more happening between the food stops with street art, galleries, shops, old buildings and a stronger sense of place.

For me, Ari is somewhere to eat and hang out rather than explore.

GTB Verdict: Loved it

Right next to Talat Noi, Song Wat is another of my favourite neighbourhoods to explore in Bangkok. It has that same hard-to-explain vibe I love, where old Bangkok and a much newer creative scene somehow work together.

Song Wat has changed a lot in recent years and has become one of the city’s trendiest areas for cafés, food, street art and small independent shops. But what makes it interesting is that the old neighbourhood is still very much here. Generations-old Chinese-Thai businesses, spice warehouses and traditional shophouses sit alongside specialty coffee shops, restaurants, boutiques and creative spaces.

Old warehouses and once-tired buildings have been transformed, while murals and street art appear throughout the neighbourhood. Like Talat Noi, it’s a great place to explore without too much of a plan. Wander the streets, look at the architecture and street art, browse the shops and stop somewhere for coffee or food when something catches your eye.

I also think Song Wat and Talat Noi are perfect to explore together. They sit right next to each other and you can easily spend an afternoon wandering between the two.

One tip though, go on a weekday if you can. Weekends can be manic, with queues outside the popular cafés, crowds everywhere and seemingly endless photoshoots and influencers trying to get the perfect shot. I enjoy it so much more when it’s quieter and you can actually take your time exploring.

I keep coming back to Song Wat because I just love being here. Spend an afternoon wandering around and you’ll probably understand why.

GTB Verdict: Loved it

After living in Bangkok for almost two years around Sukhumvit, we’ve definitely had our fair share of shopping centres. They all seem to have their purpose, from affordable local boutiques to international designer brands, incredible food halls and malls that are attractions in themselves.

But eventually it was time to venture a little further out and visit Mega Bangna. It is a bit of a journey from central Bangkok, we took the BTS to Udom Suk and then a taxi for the final 15 minutes - but for me, it was absolutely worth it.

Mega Bangna is massive. It’s a sprawling, low-rise shopping and lifestyle centre with more than 400 brands and around 160 restaurants, covering everything from affordable everyday shopping to international fashion, tech and plenty of places to eat.

If you have the stamina, you could easily spend the entire day here. And when you’ve had enough shopping, there’s still the cinema, ice skating and tenpin bowling. It would be a great option for one of Bangkok’s rainy days when you want somewhere you can spend hours indoors.

What I particularly liked was the variety. There were plenty of bargains and so much to browse that it felt worth making the trip rather than simply heading to one of the malls closer to home.

My recommendation would be to visit on a weekday if you can, as it gets incredibly busy on weekends.

Next time I need a serious wardrobe refresh, I’ll definitely be making the journey back.

GTB Verdict: Loved it

Talat Noi is one of my favourite neighbourhoods to explore in Bangkok. It’s historic, creative, slightly chaotic and full of character, there’s just a vibe here that I find difficult to explain. You really have to wander around and experience it for yourself.

The neighbourhood is a maze of narrow lanes and old shophouses, with street art appearing around corners, Chinese shrines tucked between buildings and small cafés, restaurants, galleries and creative spaces scattered throughout the area.

What makes Talat Noi particularly interesting is that the old neighbourhood hasn’t disappeared as the creative scene has moved in. It’s still an active hub for second-hand car parts, engines and metal workshops, so you’ll walk past piles of old machinery and open-fronted workshops before turning a corner and finding a huge mural or a beautifully designed café.

There’s plenty of art to explore too, with places like ATT 19, Warehouse 30 and River City Bangkok nearby. River City deserves an entry of its own, so check that one out too.

For me, Talat Noi is a slice of riverside Bangkok that never quite decided what it wanted to be and I love it for exactly that reason. Old and new, gritty and creative, local and increasingly trendy all seem to exist alongside each other.

You don’t really need an itinerary here. Just wander the streets, take photos, check out the art and local shops, stop somewhere for coffee or food and see where you end up.

There’s always something interesting to look at, and it’s one of those parts of Bangkok I can visit again and again without getting bored.