Who doesn’t love the City of Angels? “Krung Thep” in Thai, is the name given to this sprawling metropolis that is unlike any other in so many ways. A curious mixture of old and new, you can walk in the peaceful grounds of a Buddhist temple, which is right next to a huge skyscraper and when you turn the corner, you don’t know what to expect. A fast and vibrant city, Bangkok has much to offer tourist and much like other cities, there are ways to save money.
Here are just a few money-saving hacks when you are visiting the amazing city of Bangkok.
- SkyTrain – This is the mass transportation system that covers most of the city (under expansion) with numerous colour lines that run across Bangkok. Clean, safe and inexpensive, SkyTrain is the best way to move around the central part of the city, check online for maps.
- Booking a hotel suite – Rather than booking online, walk into a 4-star hotel on Sukhumvit Soi 11 and you’ll get a better deal. Bangkok is opening up after a couple of years of lockdowns and restrictions and there are some great deals to be had in the mid-range hotels.
- Street food – The fact that you are in a city with the best street food on the planet should not be lost on you; indeed, after the hotel breakfast in the morning, you can live off street cuisine. The menu includes noodles, BBQ pork and sticky rice, meatballs, fried chicken and lots more! Fruits are well represented, with vendors and hand-pushed carts filled with crushed ice and delicious fresh fruit. To say Thailand is a land of plenty would be a huge understatement and if you have yet to visit this unique country, a pleasant gastronomic experience awaits.
- Don’t change money at the airport – Maybe you will need 1000 baht for taxi costs and when you arrive in the city, look for one of the Superich exchange booths where you’ll get a better rate. Every little helps when travelling and you can get a few more baht for your dollar in the city. If your schedule includes a trip to Phuket, click here for cool activities.
- Get a Thai SIM card – You can buy a prepaid package with unlimited high-speed Internet, which you can use when out of range of the hotel Wi-Fi. Hotspot your laptop and you can work whenever you need and Internet packages are very cheap. There are several major ISPs in Thailand, True, AIS, BBB and DTAC; each have their own packages.
- Take advantage of happy hour –If you are a social night owl, most bars offer a happy hour, when you can get 2 drinks for the price of 1. Nana Plaza and Soi Cowboy are the places to go if you are into neon lights and dancing girls, plus the many sports bars show live events if that is your thing.
Bangkok is a city like no other and to find out more about this amazing metropolis, do some online research and you will appreciate your experience much more.
