The Top 5 Cheap Things to Do in Bangkok

The Top 5 Cheap Things to Do in Bangkok

Posted by Mark Philip

Image sourced from creatvecommons.org

Although the government and tourism sector have plans to make Thailand more of an upscale holiday location to the mainstay of future visitors to the nation, the simple fact is that many people have ventured to this tropical SE Asian nation before because they either knew or they were under the impression that it was, well…cheap.

And despite the gamut of hi-so shopping complexes and community malls unleashed on an unsuspecting yet consumer-minded public that have fair taken over particular regions of the capital, not to mention the plethora of millionaire condominiums that have taken root across the skyline of the city, thankfully finding cheap things to do or see in Bangkok is still relatively easy.

Image by Alex Kovacheva sourced from wikimedia commons

There are indeed attractions and activities, both indoor and outdoor — and of course menus to suit all-comers in a city like Bangkok. To many visitors, the high-end glitz and materialistic show seems often bizarrely misplaced amidst the obvious poverty that is still quite evident in Thailand, inherent even in city-centre areas just streets away from famous malls or temples frequented by both tourists and locals.

It’s fair to say that any city-lover dropping by Bangkok for the first time may easily be taken in by the glitzy shopping malls of Sukhumvit Road and Siam Central, but it is worth noting that this scenario of Thailand is more someone else’s idea of what the place should represent rather than how it actually is!

Needless to say, there is nothing less than a veritable treasure trove of cheap or even free Bangkok attractions, activities and avenues just waiting to be explored, many of them being outdoor options due to the consistently warm temperatures.

Bike tour, image sourced from GetYourGuide

And of course, although it’s worth remembering that you kind of get what you pay for (and sometimes less) when it comes to budget food choices, you can always rely on Bangkok to deliver comparably cheap food between your sight-seeing adventures and various other escapades.

And not forgetting the fact that in Thailand, the ultimate free-time activity – people watching – has been honed down to a fine art among the locals. And that in itself – watching people watching people – can often be more enthralling than one might ever have previously imagined in a city like Bangkok. Perhaps it’s just a case of finding the right spot.

So come with us on a brief trip through the Thai capital as we look through our budget lens at 5 of the top cheap things to do in Bangkok.

1. Use Canal Boat Transportation

Image by David Broad sourced from wikimediacommons.org

Anyone who’s anyone will likely know that the city of Bangkok started out its journey known as ‘The Venice of the East’ since it was initially designed around networks of waterways and canals leading to the open river.

Many of the canals got buried once roads started being laid, but a fair network of operational waterways still runs through the city. Canal boats operating as taxis are a form of transportation still widely-used by locals but sometimes unknown by visitors.

Taking a canal boat water taxi is a super cheap mode of transportation, and is massively time-conserving on otherwise long distances across the city – much faster than by road. And feeling a little wind in your hair in the afternoon heat might be just what you need on a hot day. But don’t get too excited about the wind, views, and air though.

The downside to using Bangkok canal boats is the fact that the water in the canals (khlongs) does tend to be somewhere between rancid and stagnant, a fact which keeps many of the locals away from this super-cheap and super-fast mode of transportation across the city, even though they do pull up waterproof shutters on most of the journeys of any reasonable speed. The piers are not always that obvious or easy to find (check out our post about the best pier stops in Bangkok).

If you wanted to stay on the cheaper side of things while holidaying in Bangkok then travelling by boat may be worth a shot – although it does take just a spot of planning initially in terms of the locations of the piers.

It’s easy to get to the Grand Palace and back from the Sathorn pier (around 30 mins one way), for instance, and the fare for a regular water taxi is around 15 baht per person, with the boat making stops along the way to let other passengers on and off.

Just be wary in more central and touristy areas of special ‘tourist boats’ that will run you p and down the canals for somewhere more in the region of 1 or 2 hundred baht, although these may be slightly more comfortable or upscale affairs.

2. Spend the Day in a Park

Image by Adestro sourced from wikimedia commons

It hardly takes a rocket scientist to figure that Bangkok is chaotic, noisy –- and let’s face it more than a little annoying and overwhelming in a variety of ways.

So if you feel the need to escape the madness of the humid, concrete thrall that is the Thai capital and get a little closer to some green nature without actually exiting the city, then what better and cheaper way to while away a few hours than in one of Bangkok’s fine parks.

Lumpini Park is definitely one of Bangkok’s finest green areas, and thankfully has free entry, so it’s one of many perfect spots to spend a morning or afternoon. Chatuchak Park, and the two others directly next to it – the Train Park (Suan Rot Fai) and Sirikit Park are 3 other, equally impressive green expanses that we have covered previously in our post about parks in Bangkok.

If we take Lumpini as an example of what to expect in a Bangkok park, we find an incredibly well-sculpted green expanse across one of the main city-centre business districts, which is also popular for running and other activities. The park contains a running and cycling track, as well as basketball court, an array of open air aerobics, and you’ll doubtless witness Tai Chi and Yoga classes going on in various spots.

Thankfully though there is plenty of greenery amidst which to just take some time out and let the world go by.

If you find yourself becoming somewhat on the peckish side, there are of course, as with most parks or gathering areas in Thailand, hordes of street food vending carts and stalls located near the entrance and exit points, and around the perimeter of the park. You never have to go too far in Bangkok to find where the food is at.

If you are a nature fan there are also plenty of monitor lizards creeping around – some of them the size of a large crocodile!

Image by Lerdsuwa sourced from wiki media commons

If you would like to spend more time, maybe even a whole day amidst a backdrop of greenery then it may be worth checking out Bang Kachao Park, a bit further out but also more of an escape. Bang Krachao is Bangkok’s green lung by way of a man-made ‘island’ just slightly southward of the city, in Phra Pradaeng. With a distinct lack of skyscrapers in the area and more of an expanse of beautiful greenery, this really is the perfect spot to escape the built-up mania of Bangkok without leaving the city (or spending too much).

In Bang Kachao, as in the Train Park, you can hire a bike for‎ the day for next to nothing, and why not? A you have little chance of doing any cycling in the city per se, this is the time to take advantage of the outdoors, and is also by far the easiest way to explore the island.

Image sourced from creativecommons.org

It doesn’t even stop there though as Bang Kachao also hosts a floating weekend market, by way of a few small, very local restaurants and a number of homes on stilts that is effectively the last evidence of an original Mons Hill Tribe settlement.

Location: Bang Krachao, Phra Pradaeng, Samut Prakan

Public transport: MRT Klong Toey, taxi to Wat Klong Toey Nok,‎ ฿5 ferry to Bang Krachao; BTS Bang Na, taxi to Bang Na Pier, ferry to Bang Krachao

Also Lumpini Park (MRT Lumpini) and Chatuchak/Train Park (BTS/MRT Mo Chit/Chatuchak)

3. Wander around one of the biggest markets in the world

Image by JJ Harrison sourced from wikimedia commons

So you might want to kill two birds with one stone here if you are looking for a whole day’s worth of cheap things to do in Bangkok, or maybe come back another day – but right next to Chatuchak Park you can find one of, if not the biggest weekend markets in the world.

Chatuchak Weekend Market is a must-visit for at least the majority of first-time visitors to the city. Thirty-five acres of market with almost 30 different sections will have you happily wandering round for a whole day without spending major dollar, if needs be.

It’s hot, it’s humid, it’s a little claustrophobic at times and you can find just about anything you may or not be looking for, from food to clothes to crafts to furniture to rare pets and animals, in the never-ending, winding maze of this world-famous market.

Chatuchak Market, image sourced from Wikimedia Commons

In terms of actually buying anything at this market – well that’s obviously your prerogative – and although bartering is part and parcel of the experience, in actual fact you’re unlikely to encounter the kind of bargains that you would at less touristy markets.

Location: 587/10 Kamphaeng Phet 2 Road, Chatuchak

Transportation: BTS Mo Chit; MRT Chatuchak Park/Kampheng Phet

4. Watch a Muaythai Fight for Free

Image by Phil Bauman sourced from wikimedia commons

Bangkok is undoubtedly the best place in Thailand to watch authentic Muay Thai fights. In fact many fight fans in the country consider the two Bangkok muaythai stadiums – Lumpini and Ratchadamnoen — as the only true arenas for the sport in the country.

And it’s not even that cheap to get into either of these quality-controlled venues, depending on where you want to sit that is, but ranging somewhere between 500 and 2500 baht for non-Thais (while locals enter for a tenth of that).

But why shell out for tickets sold to you in the spirit that you just landed on planet Khao San — if you happen to be in Bangkok on a Sunday, you may just have the opportunity to see an authentic, televised Muay Thai fight for FREE. 

The stadium in Chatuchak, just 10 mins from the previously mentioned park, is owned by and part of the Thai TV station Channel 7. The channel broadcasts live muaythai fights every Sunday, and these matches are free to the public.

Unsurprisingly, most of the audience consists of local males – and at this kind of close range it’s pretty interesting to see the bets on the fighters being made. All in all, this is a great way to check out the local fighting art and national sport without getting too involved in any of the ‘train-spotter’ aspects of the sport or having to make any pilgrimages to whichever stadium is arguably the best and most authentic.

This one will do – it’s free.

5. Climb up to the Golden Mount

Of all the wondrous and bedazzling temples from their various periods that stand in Bangkok, Wat Saket, or ‘The Golden Mount Temple’ as it is otherwise known, undoubtedly has the best views over the expanse of the city.

Wat Saket, image sourced from Wikimedia Commons

And while the Grand Palace complex (which is just down the road from here), will cost you a 500 baht admission fee, you won’t find anything of the sort in this serene spot high above the city. Although not completely devoid of the odd busload of tourists, Wat Saket is an authentic, operational Buddhist temple within the city, and a few hours at this vertically-challenging scenario offering brilliant views over Bangkok will work out rather cheaply too, as it turns out.

The beautifully-kept golden chedi that sits atop this 300-stepped, man-made high point in the city is where the name comes from. So this is the Golden Mount itself, but the fully-operational temple’s grounds also contain an ordination hall, a cemetery, a library, and a chapel which apparently dates in part as far back as the Ayutthaya kingdom.

Where: 344 Chakkraphat Diphong Road, Bang Bat

Transportation: Grab Taxi or car