When Filipinos think of Southeast Asian vacation spots, Thailand is often at the top of their list. Many Filipinos choose Thailand as a must-see destination because of its bustling nightlife, diverse cuisine, beautiful landscape, and thriving entertainment industry.
About half a million Filipinos traveled to Thailand in the years before the epidemic, staying for an average of 8 days and spending an average of 7,000 Pesos per day. Honestly that is a big chunk of money, for there are ways to really enjoy Bangkok, Thailand at a much cheaper price.
I have been wanting to cross out Bangkok in my wish list, good thing Philippine Passport holders don’t need a visa to visit this country. Also, restrictions have been relaxed and locals are not really obligated to wear masks.
Being a first timer at the Land of Smiles, I made sure to enjoy a variety of popular spots in the city. Though I may say that my recent travel was a bit laid back, due to work, I was still able to cross out some destinations on my list.
AFFORDABLE FLIGHT, BEST TIME TO VISIT AND AIR FARE PRICES
Thailand is generally a low-cost travel destination year-round, but the low and monsoon seasons offer the best deals (July through September). The months of March through June are the peak of the hot season and are therefore the most pleasant time to visit.
Ideally, I prefer the chilly and dry season, from November to early April, with average highs of 29 °C and lows of 34 °C.
It’s recommended to spend at least 8-10 days in Thailand so that you can travel around the country and see its many sights. Ten days is a good amount of time to see the majority of Thailand, including the major attractions in the country’s central, northern, and southern regions. On my visit I was able to just stay for only 6 days and decided to just focus on some of the destinations within Bangkok.
If you are already planning to book a flight in Bangkok, it is suggested to book a flight atleast 51 days before the planned trip. January is one of the finest months of the year to fly to Bangkok from Manila. Rates for January average ₱14,018 per person but you may also get prices for as low as ₱8,691. The most expensive pricing can be found in the month of March.
Air Asia was my chosen airline for this flight. Our time of departure in Manila was at 9 in the evening. As to what I’ve notice, there were only 2 flights daily from Manila via Air Asia, and is bound to Don Mueang (DMK) airport in Bangkok. It is possible, best time of departure would always be in the morning so you could still have an extra time to go around in Bangkok upon arrival.
WHERE TO STAY IN BANGKOK?
Picking the best accommodation for your stay will play a big part in planning your itinerary as well as the amount of money you would need to allocate for your travel. In this trip, Rod and I decided to stay within the shopping district around Pratanun Area.
Centara Watergate Hotel Pavillion Bangkok was just the perfect place. It is located just a few meters away from the train station and is surrounded by different famous malls in the city. With shopping and eating in mind this is a perfect location for us to also save money from our transportation allowance.
You can read a full review of Centara Watergate Pavillion Hotel Bangkok here.
Other famous locations you can consider in finding a good location for your accommodation includes;
- Khao San
- Bangkok Riverside
- Sukhumvit Area
- Silom Area
- Siam Area
- Chinatown Area
- Pratanum Area
4-DAY BANGKOK ITINERARY
For easy navigation I also created a google maps that you can bookmarked and use on your visit in Bangkok. From our 6 day itinerary, I created a shorter version for I know most Filipinos usually do their trips over the weekend extending 1 to two days in the work week.
I personally would suggest for you to stay longer but of course if time did not permit, trimming it down to 4 days would be okay.
Just remember, for you to make the most out of it, make sure to book an early flight on your day 1, and book an evening flight on your last day.
| DAY 00 | DESTINATION |
| 9:00 AM | MANILA TO BANGKOK FLIGHT |
| 12:30 PM | TO HOTEL (EARLY CHECK IN) |
| 2:00 PM | LATE LUNCH |
| 3:00 PM | CHATUCHAK / NIGHT MARKET |
| 5:00 PM | DINNER / MALL – TERMINAL 21 ASOK / CENTROWORLD |
| 8:00 PM | BACK AT HOTEL |
| DAY 02 | DESTINATION |
| 7:00 AM | BREAKFAST |
| 8:30 AM | TRIP TO WAT ARUN |
| 9:30 AM | WAT ARUN |
| 10:30 AM | TRNASFER TO WAT PHO |
| 11:00 AM | WAT PHO |
| 12:30 PM | LUNCH |
| 2:00 PM | GRAND PALACE |
| 4:00 PM | ASIATIQUE NIGHT MARKET/ JODDS FAIR / OR MALL |
| 7:00 PM | Chao Phraya Princess Cruise |
| 10:00 PM | BACK AT HOTEL |
| DAY 03 | DESTINATION |
| 7:00 AM | BREAKFAST |
| 8:00 AM | TRAVEL TO SAFARI WORLD |
| 9:00 AM | SAFARI WORLD |
| 2:00 PM | TO DAVIN CAFE |
| 3:00 PM | DAVIN CAFE |
| 4:30 PM | TO CHOCOLATE VILLE |
| 5:00 PM | CHOCOLATE VILLE |
| 7:30 PM | BACK AT HOTEL |
| 8:00 PM | FREE TIME – MALL / SHOP / MASSAGE |
| 10:00 PM | LIGHTS OFF |
| DAY 04 | DESTINATION |
| 8:00 AM | BREAKFAST |
| 9:00 AM | EARLY CHECK OUT |
| 10:00 AM | BACC MUSEUM |
| 12:00 PM | LUNCH |
| 1:30 PM | TRAVEL TO MAHANAKHON |
| 2:00 PM | Mahanakhon SkyWalk |
| 4:00 PM | TO AIRPORT |
| 8:00 PM | FLIGHT BACK TO MANILA |
HERE IS A 6-DAY ITINERARY VIA GOOGLE MAP
MUST SEE DESTINATIONS
WAT ARUN, WAT PHO & GRAND PALACE
If coming from the city center, I would highly suggest for you to go to Wat Arun first, cross the river then walk to Wat Pho, then ending your temple run at the Grand Palace.
Stay at least 30 minutes to 1 hour at Wat Arun and allocate at least an hour to two hours at Wat Pho. You can cover the 3 destinations for half a day, this means you may still include additional destinations or activities within the day.
If visiting temples is something that pique your interest you can also include a tour at the Ancient City located down south of Bangkok in Samut Prakan, a two-hour trip from the city center.
MAHANAKHON SKYWALK
If looking for something fun and exciting, include a trip at Mahanakhon Skywalk. Located at the upper level of King Power Mahanakhon Tower in Silom, Bangrak, Bangkok.
Start the adventure at the ground floor where you can find the 1st self-controlled ParadropVR™ City Flyer.
Go up at the 74th floor to experience the indoor 360-degree observation deck. From here go up at the 78th floor by boarding at the hydraulic glass lift with panoramic views.
And at the top most floor, at 78th, enjoy Thailand’s highest outdoor observation area, with its highest point located at The Peak, 314 meters above ground level.
Experience our glass trays at the height of 310 meters from the 78th floor. Perfect for adventure seekers, take a photo standing on Bangkok’s glass tray with a bird eye’s view of the beautiful skyline below.
If we had more time I would love to stay here longer, chill and just have enjoy Bangkok’s cityscape while having coffee.
Nevertheless, the short experience was Bang for the buck.
BOOK IT IN ADVANCE HERE: MAHANAKHON SKYWALK
NIGHT MARKET
Bangkok is literally attached to the term night market already as the popularity of the word spread across the globe. Aside from the usual Chatuchak (close during weekdays), there are also other Night Market that you can visit specially if you are arriving on a weekdays, Jodd’s Market for one.
As to what I’ve seen, most markets gave almost the same experience. But In terms of cleanliness, space and food options, I truly enjoyed Jodds Fair.
Another option is for you to visit Chinatown. I may have missed this destination, but I heard a lot not just from fellow travelers but also from locals suggesting for us to visit the place.
BANGKOK SAFARI
Safari World Bangkok is a 200-acre park that includes an open zoo and a marine park. What makes Safari World Bangkok tours special is that visitors have the unique opportunity to experience the best of both aquatic and land wildlife at the same location!
Not to Missed:
- Explore the animal kingdom at Safari Park
- Travel under the sea at Marine World
- Go boating along the Jungle Cruise River
- Feed the Giraffe
- Catch as many shows as possible.
MORE INFO HERE: SAFARI WORLD
CHAO PHRAYA PRINCESS CRUISE
Giving us a different picturesque vantage point, Chao Phraya Princess Cruise, rapidly gliding through the night. The dinner cruise offers a spectacular buffet of our favorite Thai meals as well as a range of other goodies spread out for our enjoyment. I have a very low expection about The Chao Phraya Princess Cruise, and was suprise to what it offered. It was sure an interesting and unforgettable night, with a live band to adorn our dinner with nostalgic classics and a dash of nostalgia.
A must try experience, i could say, BOOK IT HERE: CHAO PHRAYA PRINCESS CRUISE
COMMUTING GUIDE
Aside from food, most of your pocket money will go to your transportation allowance. Bangkok is an easy city to navigate, and many types of transportation is available. But aside from price, your major consideration to think about is the traffic. Hence, taking the BTS or Skytrain would be the best option to get around Bangkok. It is fast and affordable and can save you time travelling.
Bus can also be efficient and affordable but gets a bit confusing at times. Next option for me I guess would be hailing a taxi or getting a grab ride. Taxi rides usually starts at 40 baht for the first kilometer, 6.50 baht/km for the 2nd to 10th kilometers and increases at it progress. Grab ride on the other hand, adds 20 baht from the metered price.
If you’re staying near the river, taking the ferry is also efficient, affordable, and fast.
While tuk-tuk ride gets overpriced, trying it out, just to say you tried it, is still okay specially if you got some extra cash to spend.
Please do veer away from riding a motor taxi for some drivers in Bangkok are reckless. Price varies depending on the driver and most of the times there is no helmet available for use.
BUDGET
A Thai meal in a restaurant can start at 90 – 200 baht. A basic For a 4 day, travel, I guess having an 10k to 15pesos is enough with a little a mouth dedicated for shopping.
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