If you’re reading this blog post expecting to read about the top ten best tourist locations, you can stop reading now. I lived in Thailand for 4 months and though 4 months isn’t that long, it was long enough for me to see the REAL Bangkok rather than the overrated tourist attractions. Don’t get me wrong, I visited all of those too, but it was nothing compared to what I was able to experience on my own or with my Thai colleagues.

I studied tourism and environment in a small community just south of Bangkok at Burapha University. The best part of this adventure was that I didn’t live like a tourist, I didn’t consume like a tourist, and I just lived like me and embraced the local culture to the best of my ability. Making local friends definitely helped me experience the best secrets of Bangkok and surrounding areas, which I am going to tell you about in this exciting blog!

 
Before I get into the list, let me first tell you what I found extremely overrated.

• Khao San Road: If you’re missing the Westernized world back home, this is the place to go, dirt
  cheap hostels, overpriced tourist souvenirs and a whole lot of tourists getting drunk off buckets
  and running around like crazies. I actually did this a couple of nights while in Thailand because I was missing back home and I love meeting other tourists from different countries to make awesome connections for future travel plans.
• Tiger Temple: I didn’t actually go to the Tiger Temple so don’t take my word for it. I had heard from locals and other tourists that the tigers are under heavy medication and chained down to keep them calm. Please note: not all tiger interactions are like this, there are some very prestigious interactions that allow the tigers to remain in their natural state.
• Song Thaew Rides: For those of you who have been in one of these before, you probably understand what I am saying. For those of you who don’t know what a Song Thaew is, well then click this link first: Song Thaew. Take a quick ride on a bicycle contraption in the city to feel the Bangkok breeze in your hair. Once or twice was enough for me. You will soon realize that Bangkok has other modes of transportation that are faster and MUCH cheaper.

Now on to the GOOD STUFF, the secrets I learned from the locals ?

Here are the top 10 Secret Must Do’s Around Bangkok:

1. BTS Sky train:

The cheapest and fastest way to get around the city! The Bangkok Sky train is above the buildings on the rails you will find all across the city. Traffic in Bangkok is worse than
traffic in Toronto which is pretty unbelievable… So why not get above it all (literally) and soar to where you want to go. The maps are easy to follow and you will save heaps of money.

2. Movie Theater:

If you live in North America like me, you will understand how expensive it is to go to a movie theater and it would have likely been the last place you would think to go while in a beautiful country like Thailand. The unique thing about the movie theaters in Bangkok is that for a fraction of the cost (I’m talking like $10.00 USD), you can get a reclining lazy boy, blanket, all you can drink, all you can eat and a post-movie massage. Pretty wonderful huh?

3. Chatuchak Weekend Market:

Now, this is an attraction you may have seen on the tourism websites, a not-so-secret destination for tourists. I had to put it in this blog post because it is so difficult for anyone to explain how wonderful this place is. After 4 months of living in Thailand, I had mapped out all my shopping locations to buy souvenirs all at the end with the money I had left. Chatuchak Weekend Market ended up being one of the two. This is not for everyone, if you don’t have any intention of buying anything, you probably shouldn’t go. This is a hair-up, sweatpants, t-shirt, backpack kind of experience. Be prepared to spend all you have and find the best of the best deals!

4. Platinum Mall:

This is the second location I decided to save all my money for. There was a small mall in Bang Saen where I was living and a few days a week they would have a market outside and inside the mall. After asking high and low where these market sellers were getting their clothes from, I finally figured it out when one of my Thai colleagues let me in on the secret: Platinum Mall. This mall is in the center of Bangkok, 7 floors high, with apparel on every level! I ditched my entire wardrobe at home and brought back 3 suitcases full of a new wardrobe from Platinum Mall.

5. Wat Rong Khun:

This is the only temple I will share with you in this blog post as I ended up
draining myself of patience after I visited every temple in and around Bangkok. Wat Rong Khun is the most unusual temple (I think). When you arrive, you see this beautiful white castle essence that brings a smile to your face. When you get closer, you realize the entire creation was built around death: the hands coming out from the ground, snakes, dragons, and heads hanging. It was quite creepy, in a beautiful way (I never thought I would use those two words in one sentence).

6. Koh Lanta Beach:

Seriously, if you’re still following this blog and you think that these things are completely up your alley… don’t go to Koh Samui or Koh Phi Phi or any of those high rated beaches down south. It was one of the most heartbreaking experiences in Thailand when I went snorkeling through the reefs down South… there was literally nothing but dead coral. Now, visiting secret serenity like Koh Lanta Beach, you will find nothing but bright blue waters, white sandy beach, and beautiful coral reefs!

7. Bang Saen Beach:

My temporary home while living in Thailand for four months! Now don’t go sharing this one with all your friends because I’m sharing it with you, my blog readers, for that exact reason, you’re my blog readers! Bang Saen Beach is a tourist destination for the Thai’s. In four months of living there, I saw maybe a hand full of western folks stop in to enjoy the beach. It is not the water that is so amazing here, it is the hundreds of beach stands and local Thai cuisine lining the beach that makes it so incredible. I won’t give you any links for this destination, because if you really want to live outside the tourist realm, well then… you can dig a little deeper!

8. Figure out Your Buddha:

This was my favorite thing to do while in the temples. Though I had a great appreciation for the beauty, the spiritual essence and the architecture of each temple, my patience runs dry after a couple of hours of walking through temples. In order to make it exciting for me, I would venture through the temples in order to find my Buddha! How do you find your Buddha?? Well… take a look at this link – What Buddha Are You – depending on what day you were born, each Buddha symbolizes a different meaning. For example, my Buddha was wan ang-kaan – this symbolizes his death… if you were born on another day of the week… that’s probably for the best!

9. Song Kran Festival:

If you are around Thailand during this year’s Song Kran festival, DO NOT MISS OUT! Caution: You need to be willing to get wet, dirty and have lots of FUN! Seriously though, a few people I was with didn’t enjoy it one bit. Do not dress to impress during Song Kran, the second you step foot out of your door, prepare to get whipped with water!

10. Erawan National Park:

I saved the best for last. My colleagues and I discovered this almost unintentionally. During those four months of my schooling, every long weekend I would get would be an unplanned and exciting adventure. From Bangkok we booked the cheapest trip out, this ended up being Kanchanaburi.

Looking for more tips on Thailand? Check out my previous posts:
– The Full Moon Party Experience
– Relaxing Destinations in Thailand