16 Strange Things to Do When Visiting Bangkok

Intro to Bangkok

Bangkok is an incredibly potent city and the epicenter for all activity in Thailand. It serves as the nation’s capital, chief port, cosmopolitan nexus and historical stronghold. As a result, there are many strange things to do when visiting Bangkok.

The city itself swaps between neon-lights and turbo-charged neighborhoods of clubs, bustling markets, malls and excitement on one end and traditional communities and conservative, peaceful temples on the other. It is the main port of entry for people visiting Thailand.

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Advice For Visiting

Beware the Taxi

Bangkok has a fair number of taxi scams. Try to use other public transportation or ride shares, such as Grab, whenever possible. If you’re using a taxi, be sure to wait in the official queues and only use taxis where are official (rather than fake taxis).

To learn more about avoiding Taxi Scam, click here.

Carry Small Bills

Carry small bills and change in Thailand. Cards are fairly acceptable in Bangkok, but the further out you go, the more Cash is King. Smaller bills are easier for stores to work with, an help avoid scams and are generally safer to carry.

Be Aware of Tourist Prices

Bangkok tends to sell the same goods in different areas for wildly differing prices. Remember, buying anything in a foreigner zone, even groceries, will cost a lot more than looking at local Thai markets.

Temple Advice

When visiting temples, be sure to dress appropriately to gain access. This includes covered shoulders, clothes below the knee and shoes which can be taken on and off easily. Though many city temples don’t require guests to remove shoes, there are often buildings on the complex grounds which require shoe removal.

The monks in Thailand, like the rest of SE Asia, are not tourist props and should be treated with respect.  Don’t photograph them without permission and bear in mind that it’s forbidden for females to touch monks in most settings. 

Stop for the Anthem

For many foreign visitors, this may seem like strange things to do when visiting Bangkok. Thailand plays the national anthem on speakers twice daily, once at 8 AM and once at 6 PM. People stop completely as it plays at train stations, government buildings and some markets. It’s considered respectful to wait for the duration of the anthem before continuing your day.

Tricky Sidewalks

Keep your eyes on the ground. Bangkok is designed with narrow sidewalks, bumpy streets, tropical tree roots prying up concrete and chips of sidewalk missing. Expect to have some trouble maneuvering with a scooter or stroller.

Currency in Southeast Asia

When entering Thailand from Laos, Cambodia or Myanmar (Burma), focus on keeping Thai Baht bills.  Thai currency is generally accepted in various Southeast Asian countries surrounding Thailand.

Elephant Information

Be extremely weary of elephant activities in Thailand.  Anything that offers elephant swims, rides or other invasive, stressful sports with elephants is unethical and money should not be provided to that sort of industry.

Shortlist: Things to Do

Strange Things to Do

• Giant Swing – This is an unsual and locally famous attraction created for the Brahmin Ceremony.
• Haoma – An urban fish farm which directly supplies a local upscale restaurant by the same name.
• Counterfeit Goods Museum – A museum which operates as an homage to Thai counterfeit market culture.
• Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute – A snake farm which is open to the public.  The farm is actually run by the Red Cross to help with police training while also developing antivenoms.
• Wat Pariwat (Cartoon Temple or David Beckham Temple) – A structure in the classic Thai Temple model, this site is decorated in pop culture cartoons and icons.
• Erawan Museum – A unique museum famous for a massive three-headed elephant statue.

Cultural and Heritage Sites

• Grand Palace – The Grand Palace is a stunning, ornate complex for the Kings of Siam from 1782 until 1925.
• Wat Arun Ratchawararam Buddhist Temple (Wat Arun) – This is a towering temple of unique patterns dedicated towards the Hindu god Aruṇa.
• Wat Mahathat Temple of the Great Relic – The headquarters to Thailand’s largest sect of Buddhism.
• Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha) –  This is considered the most sacred Buddhist structure in Thailand.  Extremely ornate with unique historical and religious aspects.
• Wat Samphran – A large red tower completely encased in a spiraling dragon.  It’s somewhat of a drive outside of Bangkok.

Interesting Shopping Locations

• Patpong’s Night Market – One of several night markets in Bangkok, the Patpong’s Night Market displays a wide range of foods under rows of fabric stalls.  
• Terminal 21 – A shopping mall which is built to look like an international airport and travel terminal.
• Amulet Market – A very strange series of stalls close to the river.  The market is visited by men with dangerous jobs looking for good luck and protection. 
• Pak Khlong Talat Flower Market – Bangkok’s largest flower market sells huge quantities of floral arrangements in bulk along various shops
• Icon Siam – A really strange recreation of Thailand came is a floating mall format.

Full Descriptions of Strange Things to Do When Visiting Bangkok

The Giant Swing

The Giant Swing is a religious structure in Sao Chingcha Subdistrict of Bangkok. It is part of the Wat Suthat temple grounds and was used in an old Brahmin ceremony. The ceremony, which involved people harnessing themselves into rapid motion on the structure, was discontinued after safety concerns. Now, the swing and Wat Suthat Temple are among Bangkok’s most unusual tourist attractions

Haoma

Haoma was originally an online passion-project in the use of aquaponics (food production system that couples aquaculture with the hydroponic). The business model ended up creating a functional urban fish farm which supports the local upscale restarant, also named Haoma. The location is a unique and fairly-popular experience. Advance booking may be required.

Counterfeit Goods Museum

Bangkok has a fairly seedy counter-history coloring much of the city’s culture. Part of this includes prominent smuggling enterprises and an explosive black-market of counterfeit goods. In open acknowledgment to this, Bangkok hosts a museum which operates as an homage to Thai counterfeit market culture.

Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute

For tourists, this location is most famous for it’s large snake farm, which is open to the public.  Dozens of species of venomous snakes live inside this well-equipped building. However, the location has another purpose. The farm is actually run by the Red Cross to help with police training while also developing antivenoms. Staff members specialize in the extraction and research of snake venom, and vaccines.

Wat Pariwat (Cartoon Temple or David Beckham Temple)

This temple is a supremely odd mix-and-match cultural icon. Much of the temple has traditional Thai features, but there are also statues, figurines and homages to pop culture. Tucked into various corners or constructed as separate artworks, this temple also displays small statues of Superman, Master Roshi, Pikachu, David Beckham and many others. Finding the various pop-culture statues makes exploring one of the best strange things to do when visiting Bangkok.

Erawan Museum

The most dominating feature of this museum is the enormous three-headed elephant display which graces the museum’s roof. However, the museum has plenty more to offer. The interior contain antiquities and priceless collections of ancient religious objects. It was originally supplied by Lek Viriyapant, who was the museum owner. The displays show multiple facets of Thai culture.

Grand Palace

The Grand Palace is a stunning, ornate complex full of unique statues, temples, towers, texts and artworks. The Grand Palace is an expansive complex housing some of the most culturally vital Thai structures and artworks of the nation.  Now open to the public, the gilded wonder was once the home of the throne and grounds of the Thai King. 

Wat Arun Ratchawararam Buddhist Temple (Wat Arun)

This is a towering temple of unique patterns dedicated towards the Hindu god Aruṇa, who is said to be found in the radiating lines of a rising sun.  This “Temple of Dawn” is a unique Buddhist structure that climbs in an extremely steep decorated stupa overlooking the river.  The most famous feature of the temple is the iconic porcelain prang spire found in the center

Wat Mahathat Temple of the Great Relic

The headquarters to Thailand’s largest sect of Buddhism. It was once the Ayutthaya Kingdom’s most important temple for centuries, retaining prominence from 1374 CE – 1767 CE. Wat Mahathat sheltered the Ayutthaya Kingdom’s most precious Buddha relics. It was also the seat of Thai Buddhism’s Supreme Patriarch.

Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha)

This is considered the most sacred Buddhist structure in Thailand. Wat Phra Kaew, commonly known in English as the Temple of the Emerald Buddha and officially as Wat Phra Si Rattana Satsadaram, is an extremely ornate religious structure. The temple complex includes a vairety of buildings, temples, statues and special garden spaces. The complex is a subdivision located within the Grand Palace, the historical center of Bangkok.

Wat Samphran

A large red tower completely encased in a spiraling dragon which climbs the outer walls. The temple is located somewhat far outside of Bangkok, but has excellent views of the city, as well as unique colors and design accents. English speakers often refer to it as “Dragon Temple” or “Climbing Dragon Temple.” Though the Temple is a bit of a drive outside of central Beijing, it’s in a unique area full of strange things to do when visiting Bangkok.

Patpong’s Night Market

One of several night markets in Bangkok, the Patpong’s Night Market displays a wide range of foods under rows of fabric stalls.  The area doubles as a night-life restarant and eatery with a huge selection of street-meals and various plaza areas set aside for outdoor seating.

Terminal 21

This large building is a shopping mall which it themed like an international airport and travel terminal. The mall is an impressive nine-story building crammed with designer brands, international cuisine, a specialized supermarket, various boutique shops, and more. Each floor is decorated based on a “Shopping Streets Around the World” theme, with miniaturized models of famous landmarks within the mall.

Amulet Market

There are a multitude of amulet markets throughout Bangkok, but the most famous location publically sells goods at a bustling handicrafts bazaar. This location displays Buddhist luck amulets, wellness totems, coins and other good-luck charms. These very strange stalls sit close to the river.  The market is often visited by men with dangerous jobs looking for good luck and protection. The sheer diversity of amulets is worth looking at. There are other, smaller Amulet Markets throughout the city, which are also good to visit and offer other strange things to do when visiting Bangkok.

Pak Khlong Talat Flower Market

Bangkok’s largest flower market sells huge quantities of floral arrangements in bulk along various shops. The area sells flowers, fruits, and vegetables. Poak Khlong Talat is the primary flower market of the city. It is recommended as a “place of symbolic value” to Bangkok residents.

Icon Siam

Icon Siam often better known as ICONSIAM or ICS is a superstructure and one of the largest shopping malls in Asia. The building is considered Thailand’s first world-class museum complex, since it’s heritage features house hundreds of statues, paintings, chandeliers and carvings.

Looking forward to finding more strange things to do when visiting Bangkok? Read about firsthand travel experiences here at the Leftfade Trails Blog