Bangkok, the vibrant capital of Thailand, is famous for its bustling streets that reflect the rich tapestry of its culture and history. In this blog, I will take you on a virtual tour of some of Bangkok’s most fascinating streets, where old meets new and tradition blends with modernity.
The best way to get to know a city is to visit it on foot, but when it comes to Bangkok, don’t forget to take plenty of water with you. Everyone who goes to Bangkok passes through Khao San Road.You can visit souvenirs and shops during the day, but life starts here in the evening. After a certain hour, it becomes difficult to walk on the streets because of the crowds. The sounds of live music coming from the bars mixed with each other and travelers from all over the world. Of course, we should not forget the street food. You can taste delicious Thai street food in almost every corner of the street. It is useful to be cautious when entering such crowded places in Thailand, especially I recommend keeping your wallet in a safe place. I will tell you about an unpleasant incident that happened to me in another article.
After you leave Khao San Road, if you want to get to know the real Bangkok, head towards the side streets. The streets will get narrower and narrower, but keep going. As you walk through the narrow streets, you will feel the city talking to you. The smells of food coming out of the windows and mingling with each other, the sounds of loud televisions… You will have the opportunity to get to know the people of that city in these streets.
Don’t miss the street food while wandering the streets of the city. You will see many different local dishes in the night markets and stalls that you can come across everywhere on the streets without worrying too much about hygiene issues. Some of them may not suit our taste and eye taste, but they can offer you a surprising flavor. It is also possible to see spiders, scorpions, etc., which are often shown on travel channels, in the stalls, but most of these are to attract the attention of tourists. But it is very normal to see the grasshopper, which is interesting to us because it is not in our kitchen, packaged in the snack sections in the markets.
Another subject that may interest you on the streets of Bangkok will be religious symbols. Thailand is a very religious country within its own beliefs. You can observe this in many areas of life. A very large part of the people define themselves as Buddhists. For this reason, it is possible to see temples in many places, which they call Wat in their own language. The most well-known of these are Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha), Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn), Wat Pho (Temple of the Reclining Buddha) and many more temples. But apart from these, there are San Phra Phum, that is, Spirit Houses that you will see in almost every street and garden. The purpose of these Spirit Houses is to provide shelter to the good or evil spirits believed to live in that area. I don’t know how accurate the official figures are, but in 2023, in a country with around 4500 homeless people and hundreds of unsheltered stray animals yet human beings are big-hearted enough to offer accommodation to spirits. These houses are more elaborate and ornate miniature shapes than simple structures and are placed on a high platform. People make daily offerings to these houses such as flowers, food or drink. And it is believed that these houses establish the connection between the visible world and the invisible world. I don’t know about the belief part, but I love the view created by these small miniature houses.
As for public transportation, I think the subway and train system is very useful, especially the air-conditioned wagons that create a shock effect inside in hot weather. On the subway and buses, you can both get rid of Bangkok’s traffic and observe the locals. If the ventilation systems bother you, you can choose naturally ventilated buses. Taxis and Tuk-Tuks can also be preferred for more comfort, but be sure to bargain. When bargaining, start at half the price.
I didn’t want to write about the places to visit in Bangkok one by one, you can find them with a very easy search on google, instead I wanted to talk about my own observations. I hope you enjoyed it. If you are going to travel somewhere in South Asia, my advice would be to start in Thailand and I am sure you will enjoy it very much.
Peace Be With You
