Bangkok is a crazy, exciting and vibrant city full of contrast. We were a little apprehensive that the heat and noise would be too much for our daughters when we visited, so looked into the best ways to see the city without them overheating (tricky when the temperatures were peaking at 38 degrees!!)
Tuk Tuks
My youngest daughter’s favourite mode of transport was a tuk tuk, she’s the thrill seeker! On our first evening in Bangkok, we grabbed a tuk tuk to visit China town so that we could sample some street food. Travelling through the busy streets at high speed on the back of a tuk tuk was like a fairground ride, with the flashing lights and music blaring. We could see everything close up with the added benefit of a slightly refreshing breeze as we wizzed along.
You can get tuk tuks practically everywhere but be prepared to haggle and still come away paying more than a taxi would cost. They know how much tourists love them, so can charge a premium.
BTS Skytrain
The BTS is the complete opposite of a tuk tuk. It is the quickest and most efficient way to travel around the city and when combined with the metro covers most of the city’s popular tourist attractions. More importantly, it has amazing air-conditioning so you can arrive at your destination refreshed.
The Sky train runs from 6am until midnight and is a fast and relatively cheap way to get around. Unlike the metro it is above ground so you get to see some of Bangkok from the comfort of your air-conditioned carriage.
River Boats
The Chao Phraya River is a great way to travel in Bangkok with many different options depending on what you are looking for. There are ferries that simply cross from one side of the river to the other, lots of different lines that commuters use daily and also tourist boats.
The different routes and services can seem confusing at first so we found this guide very helpful.
Longtail Boats
If you want to explore the canal system of Bangkok (the Khlongs) and see some of the main sights at the same time, then a long tail boat is the perfect option. You can catch long tail boats near many of the tourist attractions on the river, such as Wat Arun or from Phra Arthit Pier, near Khao San Road. We chose to go to the pier at Saphan Thaksin as it was on the BTS line so really easy to get to.
Here we were immediately approached by people trying to sell us long tail boat tours and were able to haggle the price down to 2000 baht for a family of 4. Unless you book a guided tour your guide will not speak English but this didn’t bother us as we were just interested to see another fascinating side to Bangkok. The mixture of old, decaying wooden buildings alongside some of the most expensive residences in Bangkok gave us an insight into the city. We also saw sights such as Bangkok’s biggest buddha and other temples along the way.
Taxis
Taxis are another good way of staying cool in the extreme heat and humidity of Bangkok. They are easy to get wherever you are, but beware they will not be the fastest form of transport due to the crazy traffic in the centre of Bangkok.
The yellow and green taxis are metered so you can just flag one down, however if you are stuck in traffic can be more expensive. There is no Uber in Bangkok but both Grab and Bolt are similar services so just download the app and you are given a price before you book.
Bangkok is an amazing but huge and busy city. Knowing the best ways to get around is essential to help you enjoy your stay.
Laura loves travelling across the UK and abroad. She has two children and a husband who are often her travel companions. Beach holidays, cosy cottages, treehouse adventures and brunching are just a few of her favourite ways to spend her travel time.