If you’ve never heard it “Same same, but different” is a catchphrase used all over Thailand, it is used in many different ways mainly jokingly by Thais and foreigners. It means “similar” and can relate to the selling of original designer bags or even different food items at markets. You might ask a question and get a “same same, but different” or a simple “same same” as an answer and that should be sufficient. Today we’ll talk about Bangkok, a city full of endless food options, touristic attractions, nice people, etc… a metropolis like many others, SAME SAME, BUT DIFFERENT.
Bangkok! You might think of Bangkok and not like the sound of it, never looked into it as a destination or did not enjoy it while you were there. We completely understand, Bangkok takes some time to love and if you do not spend enough time in the city chances are you will not like it. It is not a city to visit for 1 or 2 days and only do the touristy activities. There’s so much more to discover once you enter the local life and distance yourself from the tourists. Bangkok is the world’s most visited city for the past few years which hosts more than 22 million visitors per year.
After spending 1 month in Bangkok we learned and experienced the Thai culture at its best. Location is important if you’re looking to get the real experience, this is why we chose our airbnb to be outside of the city center and tourist areas to a local neighborhood where we had accommodations that we knew we would need for our 1 month stay. The location of the apartment complex was a 3 minute walk to the Skytrain (BTS) and 5 minutes from the grocery store and other local shops and restaurants. Amenities included a gym, pool, co-working space, barbecue area, and cinema room that we shared with locals on a daily basis.
Being mingled with the locals allowed us to get to know them, see their daily life, and although communication was very little because of the language barrier the Thai people for us are some of the most wonderful human beings. Always smiling, willing to help, funny, hardworking, patient, down to earth, diverse, and will not judge anyone for their religion or sexuality.
We ate the street food, we ate where the locals ate, we grocery shopped at the neighborhood store, we walked (a lot) through many local neighborhoods, took the BTS, rode the local bus, and went to the markets; all this and although most times we were the only foreigners at certain places we always felt welcomed and safe.
Bangkok is a city that never stops and there is something for everyone from luxury malls, temples, nightclubs, red-light districts, markets, rooftops, and lots of entertainment for kids. We also visited many of the tourist attractions and many temples but I think what we enjoyed the most was the food and the people.
Below are some of our top local things to do outside of the normal tourist attractions in Bangkok:
Take a water taxi on the Chao Phraya River: affordable way to move around Bangkok through the river and get a different view of the city. If you go visit Wat Arun (temple) chances are you will have to cross the river to get there.
Ride the BTS: very impressive skytrain, we used this all the time to avoid traffic and save on transportation. The stations and trains are very well maintained, helpful staff, easy to get around, and very very clean.
Muay Thai: you’ll see Muay Thai advertised all over Bangkok, but do not go for those boxing matches if you want an authentic experience. You might end up paying for a fake match. Many tourists don’t know this but on Sundays at the Channel 7 Stadium there is free entrance for everyone. The action starts at 2:30pm but we suggest you get there early to grab a spot on the stands as it is on a first-come, first-served basis. The air-conditioned stadium has section for tourists but most are locals. We liked it so much we went back another Sunday. The excitement is so contagious that even if you don’t know what is going on or know the fighters you will end up shouting like the locals! You will also see the locals making their bets. This is being broadcasted live all over Thailand and you might be on tv (as we were), so it is important for the Thai people to look presentable at these fights. No shorts and you have to wear a polo shirt, that goes for both men and women. If you don’t remember this, you can borrow clothing from the ladies outside the stadium for a small fee.
Rooftops: Bangkok has so many rooftops its hard to decide which one to go to. Most people will want to go to the famous Sky Bar where some scenes of the movie Hangover Part II were filmed. We skipped this one as we feel it is a bit overpriced and not worth it with so many others around. We ended up going to Above Eleven and Red Sky. Both of these have very nice views of the city and great selections of food and drinks.
Eat grill cheese sandwiches from 7 eleven: these are so tasty, all you have to do is bring the sandwich to the counter and they will grill it for you.
Jay Fai: Make a reservation ahead of time to go try some of the delicious plates of the Michelin starred queen of street food.
Phetchaburi Soi 5 – is an authentic street food area. Here you’ll see many locals picking up their dinner on their way home. There are endless options of foods, coffee, fruits, and dessert to enjoy. We did not see any tourists on both occasions that we went. In this area we found the best Pad Thai we had in Bangkok! Delicious and cooked right in front of us. We’re not sure of the name of the place in English but below is the picture of the sign located in the heart of Phetchaburi Soi 5 (name of the street) in case you want to try it!
Ratchada Rot Fai Train Night Market: Bangkok has many markets and this one is one of the best out there! Authentic food, cool atmosphere, drinking, and shopping all make for a very good time! Open only from Thursday – Sunday from 5pm on.
Remember to visit our Instagram highlights @everywhereabroad to see more of our daily experiences in Bangkok.