Bangkok is an exciting and vibrant city known for its charming culture, amazing street food, and beautiful temples. These things, along with markets, museums, and much else, have helped the city become a major travel destination. It consistently ranks among the top 10 most visited cities in the world, a position it maintains by constantly evolving. This allows it to keep up with new tourism trends and appeal to many types of visitors.
Although it is better known for catering to backpackers and other budget holidaymakers, the capital of Thailand has plenty to offer people looking for luxury and refinement too. From high-end hotels to fine dining and sophisticated entertainment options, there is no shortage of things to do for travellers looking for a more indulgent experience.
This guide will explore the best of Bangkok’s hidden extravagant side, from where to stay to what to do.
Where to stay
There’s no shortage of high-end hotels for you to choose from in Bangkok’s central districts. All can be counted on to provide the kind of stylish, comfortable room with all the modern amenities that you would expect from a four or five-star hotel.
What will make a bigger difference to your stay is the district you choose to stay in. The following will introduce you to some of the most popular areas and who they mostly cater to.
Sukhumvit
Booking a hotel in Sukhumvit places you effectively in the centre of all the action. Bars, restaurants, clubs, and shopping malls are basically right on your doorstep. Despite being popular among tourists and expats, there is plenty there that caters to locals too, so it doesn’t feel as touristy as some other city districts.
Riverside
If being in the thick of it is not for you, the Riverside area is still central but is slightly further away from the hustle and bustle, offering some respite. It is a trendy area where many of the city’s best hotels are found. It is also the site of some stunning temples and is a good choice if you’re looking to stay somewhere romantic.
Siam
This is the area to stay for shopaholics, with several of the city’s biggest malls clustered around the district.
Silom
This is part of Bangkok’s central business district. As such, it is generally a bit quieter and less touristy than other central areas, at least during the day time. There’s still lots of great options for restaurants, bars, and cafes though.
Luxury Experiences to Have in Bangkok
Once you’ve settled on where you want to stay and booked an appropriately lavish hotel, it’s time to plan an itinerary to match. Here are some popular ideas for luxury experiences in Bangkok.
Fine dining
Food is central to Thai culture and it is something that the local population are incredibly proud of, so it should come as no surprise that the Thai capital is full of great places to eat.
While well-known for its street food, Bangkok also has an exciting fine dining scene, with several Michelin-starred restaurants dotted around along with restaurants from highly-acclaimed and upcoming chefs.
While some inevitably specialise in the local fare, you can actually find food from all around the world there. For example, you find fabulous French food at Le Normandie, or enjoy a Mediterranean-inspired banquet at Côte, run by former Le Chef ‘Best Chef in the World’ winner Mauro Colagreco.
Sky bars
Bangkok is a skyscraper city, and no luxury visit would be complete without a drink at one of the iconic rooftop bars. There are plenty to choose from, offering fine wines, delicious handcrafted cocktails, and unbeatable panoramic views of the city’s skyline.
Health and wellness
Take a day or several to indulge in some self care at one of Bangkok’s beautiful luxury spas. There, you have the chance to enjoy one of the country’s famous massages right where they were invented, along with a wealth of other pampering treatments.
Retail therapy
Bangkok is one of the best luxury shopping destinations in Asia, with upmarket shopping malls like EmQuartier and Iconsiam hosting the stores of many high-end chains like Louis Vuitton and Gucci.
Contemporary art
The city’s many contemporary art galleries are underrated attractions that few tourists visit, yet they exhibit some of the most important and innovative contemporary artists in Southeast Asia today. The works of many artists from all over the world can also be enjoyed at galleries such as the Bangkok Art and Culture Center and the Museum of Contemporary Art.
Live music
Bangkok boasts two professional orchestras which hold weekly performances of established and contemporary repertoire. World-class soloists and conductors make regular guest appearances too. There are also smaller, independent venues like Sala Sudasiri Sobha which hold solo recitals and concerts by small groups.
Conclusion
Bangkok might be more famous as a very affordable destination, but in reality, it is a large and diverse city which caters to many kinds of visitors. Those who enjoy the finer things in life will certainly not be short of things to do.
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