How many days do you need in Bangkok?

Three days: one for the royal old town (Grand Palace, Wat Pho, Wat Arun), one for markets and neighbourhoods (Chatuchak on a weekend, Chinatown at night), one for whatever Bangkok reveals you like — malls, river life, or food tours.

Where should first-timers stay in Bangkok?

Near a BTS station (Ari, Phrom Phong, Sathorn) for effortless transport, or on the river for the classic view. Khao San is only right if you specifically want the backpacker scene.

How do you avoid the Grand Palace scams?

Ignore anyone outside saying it's 'closed for a ceremony' — it almost never is. Walk past to the official gate, pay the ฿500 entry yourself, and dress properly: covered shoulders and knees, no leggings.

Is Bangkok street food safe to eat?

Broadly yes — pick stalls with high turnover and a Thai queue, eat food cooked to order in front of you, and be sensible with raw seafood in hot season. Millions eat it daily.

What's the cheapest way around Bangkok?

The Chao Phraya Express orange-flag boat is ฿16 flat, the BTS/MRT ฿17–62 per ride, and a motorbike-taxi hop ฿20–60. Avoid unmetered taxis and any tuk-tuk quoting a 'special tour'.

Bangkok Travel Guide: First Time Done Right

How do you get around Bangkok?

Bangkok's traffic is real, so the trick is to route around it. The BTS Skytrain and MRT metro (฿17–62 a ride, rabbit card optional) cover the modern city; the Chao Phraya Express orange-flag boat (฿16 flat) covers the historic river side — and is a sightseeing trip in itself. From Suvarnabhumi airport, the Airport Rail Link runs into town in 26 minutes for ฿45; from Don Mueang, the SRT Dark Red Line reaches Krung Thep Aphiwat in about 20 minutes for ฿33. Metered taxis are fine when the meter is on — insist, or walk away.

Where should you stay?

Riverside (Saphan Taksin) — the classic: sunset over Wat Arun, ferry at the doorstep. Everything from ฿800 guesthouses to landmark hotels.
Sukhumvit (Phrom Phong–Thonglor) — restaurants, rooftop bars, malls, BTS everywhere. Mid-range ฿1,200–2,500.
Ari — the local-feeling café neighbourhood on the BTS, great food, fewer tourists. Boutique stays ฿900–1,800.
Old Town (Rattanakosin/Banglamphu) — walkable to the palaces and Khao San's nightlife; no rail link, so you'll live by boat and taxi.

What is actually worth doing?

Grand Palace + Wat Phra Kaew — go at 8:30 opening, ฿500, ninety minutes before the heat and crowds land. See the FAQ on the "closed today" scam.
Wat Pho — the 46-metre reclining Buddha, ฿300, two minutes' walk south. Its massage school is the most trustworthy ฿480/hour in town.
Wat Arun at sunset — cross the river on the ฿5 shuttle ferry from Tha Tien and watch the spires light up from the opposite bank afterwards.
Chatuchak Weekend Market — 15,000 stalls, Saturdays and Sundays. Go early (9–11am), pick two sections, surrender to getting lost.
Chinatown (Yaowarat) after dark — Bangkok's best street-food strip: follow the queues for ฿60–150 plates of noodles, seafood, and toasted buns.
A canal (khlong) longtail tour through Thonburi — old wooden houses and temple back-gardens, ฿1,000–1,500 per boat for an hour.
One rooftop bar — dress code applies; a cocktail runs ฿300–500, and the view earns it once.

What should you eat?

Bangkok is the street-food capital of the planet. Non-negotiables: pad kra pao (holy-basil stir-fry over rice with a crispy egg, ฿50–70), boat noodles in Victory Monument's alley (฿20–30 a bowl, order three), som tam + grilled chicken from an Isaan stall (฿120 for both), mango sticky rice in season (฿80–120), and a khao man gai plate (฿50–60). Chinatown adds oyster omelettes and bird's-nest desserts. If a menu has photos in six languages and no Thai customers, keep walking.

Practical tips

Money: carry ฿1,000–2,000 in small notes; street stalls can't break a ฿1,000. ATM fee is ฿220 — withdraw large, not often.
Scams: the Grand Palace "closed" line, the ฿20 tuk-tuk "tour" that ends in a suit shop, and unmetered taxis are 90% of tourist trouble. A firm smile and walking away solves all three.
Dress: temples require covered shoulders and knees — the same scarf that worked in Chiang Mai works here.
Combining destinations: the overnight sleeper train north to Chiang Mai (12–13h, ฿940–1,200) or a 1h20 flight south to Phuket (from ฿1,000) both leave from Bangkok — it's the natural hub for any Thailand loop.