Last edited: 2/04/24
The capital of the Land of Smiles
Bangkok is a city full of contrasts. The most visited city in the world is known for its bustling streets, sizzling street food and notorious nightlife, attracting many demographics of tourists including visitors from neighboring countries in Asia and a mix of budget backpackers and sleazy older gentlemen from Europe, North America, and Australia. I was one of the former, venturing to Thailand to experience all facets of the complex, modern-day Thai society, of which Bangkok is the epicenter. It has captivated my mind ever since its portrayal in The Hangover: Part II– the thought of the city evoked images of tuk tuks ignoring traffic laws, Pad Thai simmering on street carts, opulent temples, and seedy bars lit up by tacky neon signs all under the 100-degree heat. My limited knowledge of Bangkok largely centered on its touristic offerings, though I was also determined to explore the more authentic aspects of the city to get a fuller picture.
Arriving to Khao San Road
When I landed in Bangkok, I was pleasantly surprised by its modern airport, clean infrastructure, and trendy restaurants. The mix of skyscrapers and run-down neighborhoods with shuttered businesses reinforced the sheer scale of the city, highlighting the rapid transformation from a traditional town to a world-class metropolis. My hostel was located near Khao San Road, which is arguably the mecca of the backpacking world. Its cheap beer and plastic cocktail buckets, fried bugs on sticks, and endless strip of bars blaring 2000’s pop music make it a necessary stop for any backpacker going through Thailand, particularly since many of the best hostels are in the area. Being the first stop on my one-way ticket Southeast Asia journey, there was no place more suiting to begin than Khao San Road. I had unfortunately arrived around midnight, weary from the 20+ hours of flying so I ended the night with a quick Chang or two (the local beer) to scope out the area for the coming nights.
Exploring the crazy streets of Bangkok
Morning came quicker than expected. The jetlag coming from the US East Coast (a 12 hour time difference) woke me up a few hours later, and I was craving Pad Thai at 5am. The only restaurants other than 7 Eleven open were on Khao San Road, where I got my first Pad Thai among a few drunk partygoers after politely declining the beer menu. In the morning, after unsuccessfully trying to sleep on my rock-hard bed at Mad Monkey, I ventured out into the city center. Bangkok’s sky train is well developed, and easy to navigate, and it felt safe walking around Lumphini Park (Bangkok’s largest park in the city center) and the Siam mall. After daring to try a spicy noodle dish, I took the train to Chinatown. The sprawling markets and throngs of people in Chinatown made it near impossible to walk through, and I took a lengthy stroll back to my hostel to get a feel for the city’s streets.
Mad Monkey Bangkok: An introduction to Southeast Asia’s notorious hostel chain
Anyone that backpacks in Southeast Asia is familiar with Mad Monkey. As one of Southeast Asia’s largest hostel chains, its unmistakable monkey logo can be seen in almost every stop on the backpacker trail in the region and is known for its relatively upscale accommodation, social events, and raucous atmosphere. The McDonald’s of Southeast Asian hostels, Mad Monkey is a surefire way to meet people, easily organize local tours, and have a great night out wherever you are. Of course, this has its drawbacks- it typically costs a bit more than other hostels, and the crowd of mostly young Europeans attracted to the partying can be a turn off for everyone else. However, I was full of energy and excitement and had a blast socializing at the bar, participating in the hostel events, and chatting to people by the pool after a day of exploring.
The pinnacle of my Mad Monkey experience was its famous pub crawl. A perfect way to experience Khao San Road, the pub crawl organized a few spots where we all wore matching purple tank tops as if we weren’t going to raise enough hell already. The pub crawl also included my first cocktail bucket- full of cheap Thai rum and coke- the start and end of many nights in Thailand. Even though this was far from an authentic experience, it was incredibly fun meeting other travelers and tasting the chaos that is Bangkok.
Temple tours and weekend markets
On Sunday’s, Bangkok’s biggest market, the Chatuchak Weekend market, opens and attracts tens of thousands of locals and tourists alike hunting for bargains among its thousands of stalls. The stalls were filled with just about anything you could imagine. I’m not much of a shopper, especially with limited space in a backpack that I’d be carrying for the next few months. Still, I couldn’t help getting a couple trinkets and trying coconut ice cream at one of the food stalls. After that, I went on a walking tour to one of the temples close to the hostel, where I got some stunning views of Bangkok and got to learn more about Thai religion. The plethora of temples in Bangkok was a constant reminder of how religion plays a significant factor in the lives of the locals. I never made it to the Grand Palace but was still able to experience this side of Bangkok.
In my short stay in Bangkok, I only scratched the surface of what the city offers. It was more than enough to pique my interest and highly recommend visiting and cannot wait to explore it again.
8.5/10