Finally - I made the point to drag myself to the place I thought I'd never want to step into - Bangkok! Now to be clear, I love Thailand. But Bangkok is just too touristy. Why would I travel to get away from Singapore, just to end up in a place full of Singaporeans???

Well eventually life brought me here (supposedly to visit a friend, but she ended up being in Singapore lmao), and I really enjoyed it! I was actually in Bangkok for 4 days, but I landed at night and flew back to Singapore at 4pm on the last day; give and take we were there for 2 days.

While there are a shit ton of things to do in Bangkok, visiting a night market and cafe hopping topped my list. Unfortunately, we couldn't cover everything due to limited time, so here are the 10 most memorable things we did while in Bangkok!

Day 1 in Bangkok

1. 40 baht all-you-can-eat near Lumpini Park

Yes you heard it right - a S$2 all you can eat authentic Thai buffet! I didn't know what to expect when my friend told me about this place. Maybe I was picturing a pasar malam kind of thing, but instead I was dropped off by my Grab at the roadside of a park. The "buffet" was literally one stall with dishes laid out "economy rice" style, followed by tables and chairs for customers to sit. It was a very localised setting, and we were the only foreigners there.


I took a big serving of fried rice and topped it off with a bunch of bamboo shoots, clams, and taugeh. There are also free-flow drinks!

To be frank - I was pretty worried about the hygiene since it was at a park and there were big crows and flies everywhere, but it's been 3 days and my stomach feels okay so all's good.

2. Nihonmachi - Bangkok's Japan Town



I'm still having Tokyo withdrawals, so when I heard that Bangkok had its own Japan Town, I just couldn't miss it. There is also a large community of Japanese people here - working adults, children, and families.



The streets and shops here look exactly like the ones you'll see in Japan. There's a huge Japanese Supermarket, bakeries, pubs, bookstores, and ramen restaurants!

3. Bangkok's Bugis Street/ Harajuku Equivalent - Siam

I initially came here in search of a Mermaid Cafe - but to my disappointment, it turned out to be closed. Having traveled almost an hour to come here, my friend and I decided to just walk around the area known as "Siam Soul".


This hidden Alleyway just opposite the Siam Square Shopping Mall is full of hipster cafes donning pastel pinks, aqua blues and neon signs. It reminded me a little bit of Bugis Street as it was crowded with schoolgirls hogging the clothing racks of trendy fashion stores, and couples taking selfies at bubble tea stores. If you do come here, remember to bring some money because the things here are pretty unique!

4. Newly opened Wonderland-theme cafe - The Fairy Door

The Fairy Door has only been open for a few months, but it's already super popular! It's located at this aesthetic, garden-themed mall called Rain Hill Plaza.


When we reached, 3 girls were posing in front of the cafe's uniquely designed door, which was so small you had to crouch down to enter (and that adds to the fun, of course)!

The cafe serves tea sets starting from S$15, with interesting cakes and really, really good tea.  There are also a few resident cats at the cafe that you can play with, though they are pretty jumpy. As the cafe was still new, it was swarmed with people - most who were there just to take pictures with the aesthetic decor. It was a little annoying, trying to enjoy my cake while girls posed and puckered their lips right beside my table, but who can blame them?

5. The Original Artbox - Artbox Thailand

Forget Artbox Singapore - Artbox Thailand is the one to be at. As we reached right when it opened around 4pm, the area was still empty so we were free to walk about without feeling like clubbers pushed around at Zouk. Nothing pretentious here - just authentic Thai food, some sushi and bubble tea stalls, and local brands selling really pretty stuff.


I got a steak meal which cost about 300 baht, a shirt for my boyfriend (280 baht), some coconut juice (70 baht) and some laptop stickers (10 baht each).

There's also this big open area with sofas where you can enjoy live music under the beautifully-lit fairy lights. Good vibes, good music, good food - definitely a 10/10 and I would love to come again.

Day 2 in Bangkok

6. Visit The Smart Local Thailand



If you didn't know, The Smart Local has opened another branch in Bangkok! I got to visit TSL BKK this round and kepo abit - and even say hi to the Thai staff there! Really miss working there tbh. The people were so much fun, and I felt really purposeful in whatever I did.

Thanks TSL Thailand for the hospitality!

7. Get THE BEST MASSAGE EVER at Su Esthetic Home Spa

I don't really like massages because my muscles are really tight and tense, and it hurts really bad when pressed. I'm generally not a very touchy person as well, so I don't really enjoy being "fondled" or "kneaded" -

Unless it's by the masseuse at Su Esthetic Home Spa.



The spa is just an 5 minute walk from TSL Thailand (which is how we chanced upon it), and is situated in this red-pink house. The spa is supposed to be a korean (???) spa - but I couldn't really tell the difference tbh. All I know was that the massages felt like a piece of heaven.

The massage services start at 550 baht for a shoulder and back massage, all the way up to 2000 baht and above for 2 hour packages - depending on how "luxurious" it is. There are also facial and eyelash extension services, as well as flora aroma baths and body contouring! You can view the full menu here.

The experience was a 11/10, and I would fly all the way to Bangkok despite my severe flight anxiety just to get that massage again.

8. Have a hearty lunch at Taling Pling

Taling Pling was recommended by one of my ex-colleagues at TSL, so we decided to try it out. My friend and I casually walked in with our FBT shorts and uni tees, not realising how high-end the place looked. But the prices were surprisingly reasonable.


We both had phad thai and a dessert each. The dessert was a bit too sweet for my liking, but the phad thai was the bomb. The bill totalled to ~S$18.

If you're looking for a not-bad place to feast and end up with a food coma - Taling Pling is the place for you!

9. For photo ops - Chocolate Ville

The name "Chocolate Ville" is a little misleading because this theme park restaurant has nothing to do with chocolate at all. But it's the perfect place to IG slut-it-out, and you can just do it buay pai seh because everyone there is doing the same thing.


The whole place is basically a little Disneyland with free entry. My favourite place was the lighthouse where you can climb to the top and enjoy a 360 degree view of the entire theme park!

I felt like the place was a little gimmicky - but it's still a pretty decent place. The french toast with ice cream that I had for 170 baht was delicious though.

10. Shop, get a manicure, and lash extensions at Talad Rod Fai Train Night Market

My Bangkok trip wouldn't have been complete without visiting a crowded, bustling, touristy night market. Chatuchak was a little too touristy, so we decided to go to Talad Rod Fai - Bangkok's biggest night market.


There's literally everything here. Just imagine Orchard Road, but everything is affordable. There was food, hair salons, nail parlous, clothes - everything! Too bad I only had about 600 baht left, so I could only afford a retro Sex Pistols tee (89 baht) and a 250 baht pedicure. If I were to come again, I'd probably bring over 1000 baht!

BANGKOK IS AMAZING!



Bangkok has really changed since the last time I came in 2017! The traffic is still horrendous as always, but the people are friendly and things are just super value-for-money. The only thing I regret is spending too much on Grab. I would recommend taking the Bangkok Sky Train (BTS) as it's convenient and much cheaper than a cab or tuk-tuk - unless you're taking Grab bike, because that's really very cheap!

2 full days in Bangkok definitely weren't enough, and I can't wait to come again.

Love this post? Feel free to share and comment below or check out my other travel review to Ho Chi Minh here.