EAT
Bargain bites Best Hainanese chicken rice in Bangkok? Under £2 at Go-Ang Pratunam Chicken Rice (Instagram @goangsg) in Pratunam district. Hip spots along Banthat Thong Road cost pennies, too. Or trawl a floating market (pictured): the city has many.
Local legend Michelin-starred street-food heroine Jay Fai (@jaiffaibangkok) does a delicious golden-brown crab omelette (£32). At Potong (restaurantpotong.com), chef Pam – Asia’s Best Female Chef 2024 – serves multi-course meals in her grandfather’s former apothecary premises.
Gastro guru Eat southern Thai by self-taught wonder-chef Supaksorn ‘Ice’ Jongsiri at Sorn (sornfinesouthern.com). Or try Sushi Masato (sushimasato.com) for Japanese-juicy sushi.
STAY
Cheap sleeps Holiday Inn Express Bangkok Siam is handy for the Skytrain, which serves many of the city’s main attractions (doubles from £67, ihg.com). With its river views, The StandardX is an impressive affordable option (doubles from £94; thestandardx.com).
Blow the budget On a lush island just beyond Bangkok, RAKxa (pictured) is a life-changing wellness retreat with a bespoke package of treatments, from massages to cryotherapy and nutritious food (three-night retreat from £3,000; rakxawellness.com).
Hot new hotel The brand-new Ritz-Carlton inhabits a tower, with views of Lumpini Park, at shiny new One Bangkok – a mega-whirl of entertainment and shopping (doubles from £421 per night; ritzcarlton.com).
LOVE
History hit Cruise upriver to the old capital, Ayutthaya (pictured); founded around 1350, it’s a visual marvel, all monasteries and spires.
Culture fix Tour the Jim Thompson House (entry £4.75; jimthompsonhouse.org), home of an American who nurtured the silk trade after the Second World War. It’s full of his art. Or visit the Museum of Contemporary Art (entry £6.70; mocabangkok.com).
Retail therapy It’s all about designer and local brands in glam shopping centres – try Central World, Siam Paragon and IconSiam. Chatuchak is a great weekend flea market.
And chill Tired feet? Laze with a film on a sumptuous mattress at The Bed Cinema (thebedexperience.omazz.com).
