Thailand – A City Break in Bangkok

If I was telling you here that 2024 started with a holiday in Singapore, well, it ended in Asia too. This time it was Thailand, in November. It was our first visit there and, even though I hadn’t done a lot of reading beforehand, the reality pleasantly surprised me.

I’d wanted to visit Bangkok for a long time, first and foremost to see my brother-in-law and his wife, who have been living there for about eight years. Despite all that time, I’d never actually seen their home on the other side of the world.

On top of that, they were always sending us photos from the islands they explored, and I found myself wanting to see it all with my own eyes—to feel the warmth of those places and meet the people who lived there. I’d always had this feeling that Thais were kind, warm-hearted people, and I was curious to find out if reality matched the impression I’d built from afar.

Our biggest stroke of luck was having a private guide, since my sister-in-law, Jay, is a local. Seeing a country through the eyes of someone who was born and raised there is a completely different experience from following any standard tourist itinerary.

We split our holiday into two parts: a city break in Bangkok, where we tried to keep up with the city’s pace, and a second part in Phuket, which I’ll tell you about later.

Our Bangkok City Break

We only had 4 days (actually, two full days and two half days) to explore the city and try their famous food, so we did our homework and picked out a few must-visit spots. I wasn’t really looking to check off standard tourist sights, but rather to just see how daily life actually goes down for the locals, but naturally, we ended up in some touristy spots too.

Here’s what we actually got up to:

Our visit to George & Jay

First and foremost, there was our visit to George and Jay—or “Georgei” 😂, as we naturally ended up calling them—which was pretty much the whole point of our trip. For us, it was the perfect chance to finally see them in their own element after all these years. They live in a flawless condo complex that you can reach either by boat or by land. The place has everything you need for that relaxed, modern lifestyle: from pools and gyms to lounge areas, conference rooms, and even a basketball court, all right there where they live. I could totally see myself living there for a few months a year, ideally during the warm season 😉 .

Corgi in the Garden Cafe

This cafe was pure guilty pleasure. Corgis happen to be one of our favorite dog breeds, so when we saw on Google that Bangkok has a place like this, it was a no-brainer—we booked a table on the spot.

They were incredibly cute and friendly, but definitely “in it for the food” 😀 . The second we ran out of treats to offer, they shamelessly abandoned us for a better deal at the next table. Clearly, their love is purely transactional and goes straight through the stomach.

Mahanakhon Rooftop

A rooftop view is a must-have for anyone visiting Bangkok. We picked the Mahanakhon Rooftop, mostly as a personal challenge to see if I was brave enough to step onto a glass floor on the 78th floor. Spoiler alert: I wasn’t… Meanwhile, *le husband, to my total shock, not only walked out there without a care in the world, but even busted out a few dance moves high up in the sky 😀 .

A Dinner Cruise along the River

We really wanted to see the city at night (and by “we,” I obviously mean I wanted to 😀 ), so a dinner cruise was the winning ticket. It was the absolute laziest and most comfortable way to admire the major, imposing landmarks, all lit up, while enjoying a table packed with traditional dishes. Seeing Bangkok from the water gives it a whole new vibe, a quiet escape from the chaotic energy of the streets.

The moment of the evening that stuck with me the most was when the cruise ship passed under a bridge, especially since the river was visibly higher than usual. We were all told to sit down because the gap between the deck and the bridge structure was very small – so small that if we raised our hands, we could have literally touched the structure. Everything happened in a tense silence, and honestly, none of us even breathed until we made it to the other side.

Temples and Malls

Bangkok is truly a city of contrasts, where the ancient and the modern clash at every turn. On one of the days, we planned to explore the city by walking (okay, “walking” is a loose term here, since we ended up switching between boats, sky-trains, and the iconic tuk-tuks just to move around 😀 ).

We completely left ourselves in Jay’s hands, and she took us around the places where she grew up, spots that hold a really special meaning for her. It was the perfect way for us to actually feel the rhythm of the city, moving past the usual tourist routine.

We never felt the pressure of time, so we stopped several times throughout the day, either to enjoy a coffee on a charming little pier, a dessert, or a quick snack.

This led us to Wat Pho and Wat Arun, leaving Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen for last. The whole idea was to check out that huge, iconic golden Buddha. Except, reality had other plans: once we got there, we discovered the statue was under renovation, completely covered in scaffolding 😀 .

But somehow, our bad luck turned into a blessing in disguise. The security guard there was incredibly nice and let us inside the temple, where we discovered what was, in my opinion, the most stunning interior we’d seen so far. The decor was this vibrant, almost phosphorescent green that instantly gave us a sense of calm and well-being. It felt like a total oasis of peace and cool air after all the chaos and heat outside.

After spending the whole day wandering the streets of the old town, we headed back toward the modern side of the city in the evening, making a stop at Iconsiam. This place isn’t just a mall; it’s a universe of its own and shows you the exact opposite face of Bangkok—the new, gleaming side that shines at every turn. It was the perfect contrast after hours spent among ancient temples and streets steeped in history.

Asiatique Market

A Thai-style market was a mandatory stop on our list. Asiatique Market happened to be the most convenient option, so we popped over there one evening. It turned out to be a lovely walk along the water, with a much cleaner and more “put-together” vibe than your typical chaotic market. But honestly? We went for the food :D. We just couldn’t skip the chance to test out some local favorites right at the source.

Bangkok City Break: Takeaways

What we (well, I) loved:

1. The people – they are so welcoming, friendly, and literally always smiling;
2. The food – everything was so flavorful, and having access to fresh fruit whenever and wherever you wanted was a total dream;
3. Mango sticky rice – I didn’t think it was possible to get hooked on what is essentially rice pudding, but here we are.

What we (okay, I) didn’t like:

1. The architectural chaos in the city center – the complete lack of harmony, with run-down, old buildings sitting right next to massive, towering new ones;
2. Pedestrians don’t exactly have the right of way – even when the light turns green, you’re on your own. Crossing the street requires establishing eye contact with drivers and stepping out with maximum alertness.

Where we stayed:

We stayed at the Avani+ hotel, right on the waterfront. We loved that the hotel provided boat transfers to the central station (included in the stay), making it super easy to catch another ride to wherever we wanted to go. Because our time was so short and we were always on the run, we didn’t actually get to enjoy the hotel’s amenities—my biggest regret is missing out on the infinity pool, which I bet offered a stunning view of the city.

Also, they hosted themed Thai parties every evening. We did manage to make it to a musical show one night, which turned out to be a lot of fun.

Stay tuned, Phuket is up next 😉 .

In the meantime, if you want to try a sweet, Thai-style recipe, my Thai Tea Cake was actually inspired by a dessert we had at the Corgi in the Garden cafe.