✈️ TLV to Bangkok Intl.-suvarnabhumi (BKK)
Thailand
Bangkok
CityBKK
IATA6953.7 km
Distance8h 47m
Flight TimeCoordinates: 13.6811, 100.747
Airlines:
About Bangkok
Weather in Bangkok
Understand
Just under 14 degrees north of the equator, Bangkok is a tropical metropolis that is also one of the most traveller-friendly cities in Asia. A furious assault on the senses, visitors from northern climates are immediately confronted by the heat, the pollution, unpleasant smells, and the irrepressible smile worn by many Thais. The city is surprisingly safe (except for petty crimes) and more organised than it initially appears, and is full of hidden gems waiting to be discovered. The high relative humidity and warm temperature favour the growth of tropical plants — you'll find exotic orchids and delicious fruit everywhere. Bougainvillea and frangipani bloom practically all over the city. Thai cuisine is justifiably famous, varied, and affordable. Bangkok for many represents the quintessential Asian capital. Saffron-robed monks, garish neon signs, graceful Thai architecture, spicy dishes, colourful markets, traffic jams, and the tropical climate come together in a happy coincidence. It is difficult to leave with only lukewarm impressions of the city.
Climate
According to the World Meteorological Organization, Bangkok is the world's hottest city. Just 14 degrees north of the equator, Bangkok is sunny at all times of the year with temperatures over 32 °C (90 °F). The most pleasant time to visit is the cool season that lasts from Nov-Feb. It is both the coolest and driest period — the Emerald Buddha statue in Wat Phra Kaeo even wears a scarf during this period! Don't think that's necessary though — daytime temperatures still hover around 32 °C (90 °F), but it does cool down to around 23 °C (73 °F), and on rare occasions can even dip as low as 15°C. March and April represent the hot season , and hot it is — 35 °C (95 °F) on average. Average heat indices are around 42 °C (108 °F) during the day and 30 °C (86 °F) at night, but don't be surprised to see heat indices rising to 48 °C (118 °F) or higher, with nighttime heat indices around 36 °C (97 °F). This is the worst season to visit Bangkok, so plan in a lot of air-conditioned shopping mall visits and get a hotel with a swimming pool. Then there's the wet season that runs from May-Oct. Expect massive downpours resulting in floods all over the city, and spells of thunder at times. It's not all bad though — the afternoon showers are actually a pleasant way to cool down from the heat, and while they may last all day, usually they're over within an hour. Extreme rainfall happens in September and October, so these months are best avoided. Whatever season you're visiting, don't take the weather lightly — temple-tramping in the scorching afternoon sun can be a challenge, so come well-prepared. Dress lightly for the weather, but keep in mind that some palaces and temples (notably the Grand Palace ) have a strict dress code , i.e., everyone must fully cover their torso, legs and upper arms. So shorts, halter tops, etc. will deny you entry. At entrances to some major attractions, vendors may rent needed coverage. Also be sure you drink enough fluids ! You have no excuse not to, as 7-Elevens and other convenience stores are abundant in Bangkok and sell cooled beverages for as little as 10 baht. Locals get their water from "reverse osmosis" purified water machines that fill up a one-litre bottle for 1 baht, but the potability for visitors may vary.
Talk
The main language in Bangkok is the central dialect of Thai , which differs somewhat from the northern dialect spoken around Chiang Mai. However, due to the presence of large numbers of tourists, many people working in the service industry have a basic grasp of English, as do staff at many of the popular food stalls. Bangkok is also home to a large ethnic Chinese community, many of whom are bilingual in Teochew and Thai. Mandarin is also increasingly widely spoken in tourism industry to cater to the large number of Chinese tourists. The MRT and BTS station signage includes both Thai and English, and ticket counter staff usually know enough English to serve you. Most taxi drivers cannot speak English, so therefore have your hotel receptionist show your taxi driver the address in Thai. Other European languages are not widespread in Bangkok.
Get around
Bangkok has a decent public transportation network by Southeast Asian standards, but much room for improvement lies in its integration. Bangkok is notorious for its traffic jams, so visitors are advised to rely on the rail and river networks whenever possible. Transit Bangkok is a journey planner that can help you choose the best route.
See
Most of Bangkok's sights are concentrated on the island of Rattanakosin , often referred to as the "Old City". Out of Bangkok's hundreds of temples, the Grand Palace , Wat Pho and Wat Arun usually make up the top 3. The Grand Palace has an immense size, so expect to spend at least a full morning or afternoon there. Within the palace grounds is Wat Phra Kaew , the most sacred Buddhist temple of Thailand. Unlike other temples, it is not one building, nor are there living spaces for monks. Instead, it is a collection of highly decorated holy buildings and monuments. One of its buildings houses the Emerald Buddha , and while you might not expect it from its size, it is the most sacred Buddha image in Thailand. Nearby is Wat Pho , home to the world's largest reclining Buddha image and a famed massage school. Take the ferry across the Chao Phraya River to Thonburi for the outstanding Wat Arun . The main structure is about 60 to 88 m high and it is surrounded by four smaller prangs. It is one of Thailand's most picturesque temples, and is engraved on the inner part of all ten baht coins. It is so recognisable that it even became the logo of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). If you climb it, and look closely, you will see that it is beautifully decorated with colourful broken Chinese porcelain pieces. Heading back to Rattanakosin , there are many other major temples you could visit, including the Golden Mount , Wat Suthat and Wat Ratchanaddaram . Don't throw away the entry ticket of the Grand Palace, as it gives free entry to the Bang Pa-In Palace in Bang Pa-In (and not anymore to the Dusit Palace which has been closed to the public since 2017). It is situated in a leafy, European-style area built by King Rama V to escape the heat of the Grand Palace. Its main structure is the Vimanmek Mansion , touted as the largest golden teakwood house in the world, but you could spend your whole day in the museums if you wish. There are many museums in Bangkok showing traditional Thai-style residences. Many visitors take a tour through Jim Thompson's House , the CIA-operative's mansion assembled by combining six traditional Thai-style houses near Siam Square . Ban Kamthieng in Sukhumvit , M.R. Kukrit's Heritage Home in Silom and the Suan Pakkad Palace in Phahonyothin are not quite as impressive, but still make for a nice experience. Rattanakosin 's museums are mostly dedicated to history and culture, including the National Museum (about Thai history and archaeological remains), the Museum of Siam , Rattanakosin Museum (which offers two guided tours with interactive displays regarding the history of old and modern Thai life), and the King Prajadhipok Museum . Bangkok has a small, but vocal art community, and you might want to visit the National Gallery or The Queen's Gallery , or one of the numerous smaller galleries spread over the city. Siam Square features the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre which has temporary art exhibitions throughout the year. Lumphini Park in Silom is the largest park in central Bangkok, and a good way to escape the fumes. Backpackers around Khao San Road can head for Santichaiprakarn Park , a small but fun park along the Chao Phraya River with a breezy atmosphere, usually with locals juggling or practicing tricks. It is built around the 18th-century Phra Sumen Fort with a nice view on the modern Rama VIII cable-stayed bridge. Zoos and animal farms are some of the more popular tourist attractions in Bangkok, but before visiting, please be aware that animal welfare in Thailand is not strictly regulated. Poor living conditions of the animals and inadequate veterinary care are examples of the sad mistreatment of the animal population. You can't go wrong at the Queen Saovabha Institute Snake Farm in Silom , as the staff takes good care of their snakes and they have a job of informing the public about the risks associated with them. Another nice family attraction is Siam Ocean World in Siam Square . It has a steep price tag, but at least you get to see the largest aquarium in Southeast Asia.
Theatre
The Aksra Theatre in the King Power Complex Building in Pratunam holds spectacular shows that are a combination of Thai traditional puppet shows, orchestral performances and classical dances. The Joe Louis Theatre in the Asiatique is completely dedicated to the art of operating Hun Lakhon Lek puppets. One segment has the puppets interact with audience members, which is a fun activity with children. Both Aksra and Joe Louis feature stories taken from the Ramayana epic. Of a completely different nature are Bangkok's famous transvestite shows. These cabarets generally take about 2 hours, and besides singing, dancing, glamour and costumes, there's also has some comedy thrown in. The most famous of these is the Calypso Cabaret at Ratchathewi intersection with two sessions every evening at the Asia Hotel. An alternative is Mambo Cabaret , once in Sukhumvit but now at a new location far off the tourist path in Yan Nawa . Three shows are given each evening. Always book these shows a couple of days in advance as they usually sell out.
Eat
Bangkok boasts a stunning 50,000 places to eat; not only thousands of Thai restaurants, but a wide selection of world-class international cuisine too. With the rise of the expat community and high expenditure for local Thais, Bangkok has fast become a gastronomical paradise. Prices are generally high by Thai standards, but cheap by international standards. A good meal is unlikely to cost more than 300 baht, although there are a few restaurants (primarily in hotels) where you can easily spend 10 times this. Sukhumvit is known for many of popular restaurants but the business district of Silom is now littered with many of Bangkok's top dining destinations. Practically every cuisine in the world is represented here, be it French, Lebanese, Mexican, Vietnamese, or fusion combining many of these together in a quirky, but delicious mix. Bangkok's Italian town is Soi Ton Son near Siam Square . Of course, for those on a budget, street stalls abound with simple Thai dishes at around 30 baht. There are especially plenty of budget restaurants in Khao San Road . There are plenty of vegetarian restaurants in the more tourist-friendly parts of town (especially in hippie district Khao San Road ). Vegetarian dishes are also readily available on the menus of regular restaurants. On request, even typical street restaurants will easily cook a vegetarian equivalent of a popular Thai dish for you. Ask for "jay" food to leave the meat out of the dish. For example, "khao pad" is fried rice and "khao pad jay" is vegetarian fried rice. The most common animal product used would be oyster sauce. To avoid it, say "mai ao naam man hoi". Be aware that all street noodle vendors use meat broth for noodle soup. For Muslims, the alleys around Haroon Mosque in the Bang Rak area are home to many Muslim families, and hence full of stalls selling halal food. Another good place to find halal food is the Ramkhamhaeng Night Market, located next to the campus of Ramkhamhaeng University. Don't miss out on a cold ice cream in hot Bangkok. Western chain stores Dairy Queen and Swensen's have booths in many malls and shopping centres. Or better yet, try an exotic fruit-flavoured ice cream at an Iberry shop. Their ice creams are tasty, cheap and safe to eat. Korean-style shaved ice has become very popular, and local chain After You has many branches in Bangkok, and is a very popular hangout spot among Thai youths and young adults.
Drink
Bangkok's nightlife is infamously wild , but it's not quite what it used to be. Due to social order campaigns, there have been quite a few crack-downs on opening hours, nudity, and drug use. Most restaurants, bars and clubs are now forced to close at 01:00, although quite a few are allowed to stay open till 02:00 or later. Informal roadside bars do stay open all night, particularly in Sukhumvit and Khao San Road . You must carry your passport for ID checks and police occasionally raid bars and discos, subjecting all customers to drug tests and searches, though these mostly occur at places that cater for high-society Thais. One of Bangkok's main party districts is Silom , home not only to perhaps the world's most famous go-go bar strip, Patpong , but plenty of more legitimate establishments catering to all tastes. For a drink with a view, the open-air rooftop bars of Vertigo and Sirocco are particularly impressive. A large number of superhip and more expensive bars and nightclubs can be found in the higher sois of Sukhumvit , particularly the hip area of Thong Lo (Soi 55). Hippie hangout Khao San Road is also slowly gentrifying and a score of young artsy Thai teenagers have also made their mark there. Going out in Khao San Road is mostly casual, sitting at a roadside bar watching people pass by, but the Gazebo Club is a nightclub that stays open till the sun gets up. Most of the younger Thais prefer to congregate around Ratchadaphisek , home to the Royal City Avenue strip of nightclubs where you can find popular nightclubs like 808, Route 66, Cosmic Cafe, and more. RCA, the Royal City Avenue strip, is home to much more than nightclubs. You will be able to find fun karaoke clubs, go-carting, arcades and bars like the Overtone Music Cave which is a place where music students to perform. The Overtone Music Cave is frequently visited by recording artists as well as music students and is becoming a real Bangkok music hot spot. Smoking is forbidden in all restaurants, bars and nightclubs, whether air-conditioned or non-air-conditioned. It is enforced at some venues, but the ordinance is flouted in areas such as Nana Plaza.
Sleep
While most guest houses in Khao San Road do not even bother to have a website, with moderate and upper end hotels you can save a surprisingly large amount of money by booking via the web. In most cases, walk-in rates are known to be about 30% higher than online rates as administration costs are higher and front desk personnel often get paid by commission. When standing inside the hotel's lobby, sometimes it can pay off to use the free Wi-Fi, get online, book for the same night and get it for less! To give an example, some mid-range hotels offer walk-in rates for 1,500 baht the night, but online rates for 1,000 baht. That's five free beers on the hotel! Nevertheless, don't take that as a general rule for Thailand. On some island resorts it's exactly the other way round, and the walk-in rates are only half of the online promoted price, especially in offseason. Bangkok has a vast range of accommodation, including some of the best hotels in the world — but also some of the worst dives. Broadly speaking, Khao San Road is backpacker city; the riverside of Silom and Thonburi is home to The Oriental and The Peninsula respectively, often ranked among the best in the world, and priced to match, Most of the city's moderate and expensive hotels can be found in Siam Square , Sukhumvit and Silom , though they also have their share of budget options. When choosing your digs, think of the amount of luxury you want to pay for — air-conditioning can be advised, as temperatures don't drop below 20 °C (68 °F) at night. Also pay careful attention to Skytrain, metro and express boat access, as a well-placed station or pier could make your stay in Bangkok much more comfortable. In general, accommodation in Bangkok is cheap. It's possible to have a decent double room with hot shower and air-conditioning for about 500 baht/night. If you want more luxury, expect to pay around 1,500 baht for a double room in the main tourist areas. Even staying at one of Bangkok's top hotels only costs around 5,000 baht — the price of a standard double room in much of Europe. One Bangkok hotel phenomenon is the guest fee of around 500 baht added to your bill if you bring along a newly found friend for the night. Some hotels even refuse Thai guests altogether, especially common in Khao San Road. These rules are obviously aimed at controlling local sex workers, which is why hotel security will usually hold onto your guest's ID card for the duration of the visit, but some hotels will also apply it to Western visitors — or, more embarrassingly, try to apply it to your Thai partner. Look for the signs, or, if in doubt, ask the staff before check-in.
Stay safe
Given its size, Bangkok is surprisingly safe, with violent crimes like mugging and robbery unusual. Most violent crime in Bangkok is connected to disputes between organized crime syndicates; if you do not bother them, they generally will not bother you. Generally speaking, the tourists who get into trouble are the ones who get into drunken fights. One of the biggest dangers are motorbikes who ride on pavements at speed, go through red lights, undertake buses as they stop to let passengers off and generally drive far too fast especially through stationary traffic. If you are going to hire a bike, make sure you have insurance in case you are injured. You may be the world's best driver but you'll meet many of the world's worst drivers in Thailand. Bangkok does have more than its fair share of scams , and many individuals in the tourist business do not hesitate to overcharge unwary visitors. As a rule of thumb, it is wise to decline all offers made by someone who appears to be a friendly local giving a hapless tourist some local advice. Short-changing tourists is reasonably common as well, don't hesitate to complain if you are not given the correct change. Never get in a tuk-tuk if someone else is trying to get you into one. Most Bangkok locals do not approach foreigners without an ulterior motive.