Most tourists walk away from Bangkok thinking “There’s not much to do there.” I used to believe that too. Then I lived there and found there is a lot to do in Bangkok. You just have to know where to look. Here’s ten things that will keep you busy.

Visit the Grand Palace
Though the king no longer lives there, the place is a great place to visit and contains amazing Asian architecture, Buddha, statues, and murals. The royal quarters are off limits though.

Source: 1

Visit Wat Pho
Home to the famous reclining Buddha, this temple is located right next to the Grand Palace so you have no excuse to miss it. They even offer incredibly popular Thai massage classes too.

Source: 1

Visit Wat Arun
Located across the Chao Praya River, the temple of the dawn is easily spotted by its four rising spires and its center tower. (It’s also located on the back of the Thai money). True to its name it is a great place to see the sunrise.

Source: 1

Shop
Bangkok is great for shopping. Malls here are more than stores- they are entertainment complexes. You can watch movies, go bowling, drink at bars, and even eat are some world class places (yes, in Bangkok, great dining can occur in malls!). Head to MBK for all the cheap movies, phones, video games, and whatever consumer electronics you need. Head to Pantip Plaza is great for computers. For designer clothes, Siam Paragon has it all. In fact, in Siam Square there are over 7 different malls. Bangkok is a shoppers paradise.

Source: 1

Hang with the locals at Santika
Santika is a club in the Thong Lor area of Bangkok. It’s packed with locals on the weekend and has live music as well as DJs.

Source: 1

Hang with the ex-pats at Cheap Charlie’s
Cheap Charlie’s is a local institution and after 20 years, it’s still a popular hang out spot with the ex-pats. Located in an alley off Soi 11, this place is nothing more than a bar and stools. That doesn’t stop it from being busy every night of the week and on the weekends, crowds flow into the street.

Source: 1

Eat in Chinatown
Bangkok has great food no matter where you go but the food in china town is exceptional. Street stalls line every section of the street and you’ll have hundreds of food options to choose from. It’s a culinary dream.

Source: 1

Hang with the tourists on Khao San Road
All the backpackers and few locals spend their nights at Khao San. Drink at the little beer stands and dance the night away at Gulliver’s or ditch them all and join all the locals at Brick Bar, itt’s a Thai bar with Thai bands playing every night of the week. Wednesday is ska night.

Source: 1

Visit the weekend market
The giant weekend market covers a few football fields. You can buy everything from clothes to souvenirs to luggage here- all at discount prices. It’s a great way to spend a Saturday as well as home your negotiating skills. Haggling here is must as well as an art form.

Source: 1

Watch a Muay Thai match
Muay Thai is the national sport and no trip to Thailand is complete without watching a match. The nation’s largest venue is in Bangkok. Every weekend, crowds of people flock to watch their national champs beat each other up. Go and get into it!

Source: 1