5 places worth visiting in Bangkok

Bangkok is a huge, vibrant metropolis. The Thai capital is the country's economic, political and artistic centre and one of the hubs of the whole of South-East Asia. From the vast number of more or less interesting places to see, I recommend 5 that are definitely worth a visit.

Let's start with how to get around Bangkok. Bangkok has two international airports: Suvarnabhumi to the east of the city and Don Mueang to the north. Most national carriers use the former, while the latter is home to the budget airline Air Asia. From Suvarnabhumi, the easiest and cheapest way into the city is the Airport Express train. A 45-baht ticket gets you to the terminus at Phaya Thai in half an hour, where you can change to the elevated BTS Skytrain, whose two lines cross the eastern part of the city and its centre. BTS tickets cost between 16 and 59 baht (depending on how far you are going), and trains run from 5.30 until midnight. The trains are clean and air-conditioned and the signs are simple and bilingual; the only occasional confusion comes from the display of a terminus that is... still under construction.

So let's start sightseeing. Which 5 places are definitely worth visiting in Bangkok? This is a very subjective list. This time I didn't have time to visit temples and palaces, so they are not on the list, but seeing them (especially if you are in Bangkok for the first time) is highly recommended.

1. A cruise on the Chao Phraya (Menam) River

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A river cruise is a whole range of experiences. You can watch the seemingly chaotic yet extraordinarily dynamic traffic of all kinds of vessels. The river is one great transport artery, carrying people and goods upstream and downstream as well as across. Water buses run along it; there is no point taking the tourist boat (50 baht), and a more interesting option is the ordinary boat used by Bangkok's residents (15 baht). You can then watch how deftly they manoeuvre a sizeable vessel and moor it, with their helpers using an alphabet of whistles to signal the boat's position relative to the pier. It is best to get off the BTS at Saphan Taksin station, from where it is just a few steps to the riverbank where the boats leave. Heading upriver, you will admire temples (including the gorgeous Wat Arun) and the Grand Palace, and every now and then a view will open up of the tall skyscrapers and hotels of the business district. You will see the city and the river differently by day and by night, so it is worth repeating the trip. After sailing from south to north, it is worth getting off at the Phra Athit / Banglamphu pier, from where a short walk will take you to the famous Khao San Road.

2. The Amulet Market

The easiest way to reach this area of small alleys densely packed with stalls is from the Phra Chan, Tha Phra Chan or Maharaj Pier boat landings. The market does a roaring trade in talismans, which play an important role in Thai life. They are particularly sought after by people in dangerous professions and by collectors. I met one such collector comparing an amulet on offer with a picture he had downloaded from the internet. He claimed that the one he had chosen was good for relationships with women. I didn't ask further, but perhaps it simply protects you from them... Some amulets can fetch high prices. At a few stalls you can buy beautifully packaged sets of Thai banknotes bearing the image of the beloved King Bhumibol.

3. The Snake Farm

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The snake farm near Sala Daeng BTS station is, despite its light-hearted façade, a serious scientific institution whose full name is the "Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute". It is here, under laboratory conditions, that venom is extracted from venomous reptiles and then used to produce antidotes. Bearing in mind that Thailand is home to 61 species of venomous snakes, the matter is serious enough that the Institute was founded as early as 1923. You can see the snakes in special enclosures outside the building and in glass terrariums inside. They are all well labelled. From Monday to Friday at 11.00 you can watch venom being extracted. Sitting in the auditorium, you can watch safely, through glass, as trained staff extract venom from several snakes. The whole show is enriched by an interesting introduction and also broadcast on several TV screens.

4. Sukhumvit - bars and live music

The BTS network runs through the Sukhumvit district. A good station to get off at to find yourself in the thick of things is Nana. Sukhumvit 4 and Sukhumvit 11 (the numbers refer to the side streets in order) are full of bars, music clubs, eateries, massage parlours, currency exchange booths and street food stalls. It is a good area to stay in, thanks to the public transport and the photogenic attractions all around. After sunset the area rings with live music and the hubbub of a multinational crowd. Bars tempt you with "happy hours" and "buy one get one free" offers. Tuk-tuk drivers wait for customers, and the smell of food being cooked hangs in the humid air.

5. Chocolate Ville

There may always come a moment when you have had enough... Enough of prawns, curry, lemongrass, spicy fish, rice and Asia as such. You will start to miss so-called Western civilisation; in your mind's eye you will want to see brick houses along the canals of Amsterdam and windmills on Dutch polders, London phone boxes, Scandinavian wooden cottages with boats moored alongside, or Alpine guesthouses with half-timbered façades. You will find all this at Chocolate Ville, where, sometimes crossing the line into kitsch, they have been quite neatly arranged on one site that serves as an open-air restaurant. It is not in the centre of Bangkok, but it is fairly close to the main airport (about 30 minutes by taxi), so it is a good place for a "last-night dinner", especially if your flight leaves in the middle of the night. Kids will feel at home there too: every now and then a giant cuddly-toy character strolls around, ducks and hens (real ones) gather by the ponds, and dolphins (plaster ones) splash in the water. There are plenty of chips too, although beyond them the menu is very extensive, if a little fast-food in style.

There are many places worth seeing in Bangkok; above I have presented my subjective guide to 5 that I recommend, having seen them in spring 2018. The Thai capital is becoming ever easier to reach for tourists from Poland: visas are no longer required, and ticket prices sometimes drop even below 2,000 złoty.