There's so much going on in this hectic city that it would be impossible to see and do it all in a few days vacation! Here's our pick of experiencing the sights and sounds for as little as $10.
Stay
At the 5 Rama Nine 54 Hostel for a staggeringly low $3 a night. Take
The opportunity to pamper yourself for less with a traditional massage at Wat Pho Massage School (2 Sanamchai Rd). Eat
Freshly caught and freshly cooked seafood at the Rut & Lek Seafood Restaurant, Yaowarat & Soi Texas. Drink
A $10 cocktail 656 feet above the ground at Vertigo, the bar atop the trendy Banyan Tree Hotel. Dance
With your glow sticks at The Club, 123 Khao San Road. See
The city's culture by boat. Explore
The klongs and wats of Thonburi. Watch
The crowds from the open spaces of Lupini Park. Shop
Bangkok's alleyways and stalls for some bargain street fashion. Walk
Along the Khao San road in the evening.
Bangkok Hostels rank among the cheapest in the world. A boat ride away from the Old Town and city center, you can swap the tourist haunts for the local side of Bangkok at 5 Rama Nine 54 for a tiny price.
Unlike their sleazy international counterparts, Thai massage parlors offer real (and quite tough) treatments based on the principles of yoga. A block from the Palace and a frequent haunt of its Royal residents, Wat Pho can make you feel like a king or queen for a little under $10.
Serving awesome dishes from grilled giant shrimp to crab stir-fried in its roe, Rut & Lek has a simple open-flame cooker and a typically roadside location. Take a couple of friends and try as many dishes as you can! Dinner for three including beer comes to under $25.
Leave dusty clothes and cheap stays behind for an hour to sip an elegant drink with the best view of the city. However, peeks over the side at the sheer drop to the traffic below are not for the faint-hearted!
A throwback to when trance music and old-school ravers ruled the Khao San road instead of today's chart tunes, a small entry fee will provide an enjoyable night of psychedelic visuals, cheap Thai whiskey and a taste of Bangkok's clubbing scene in its prime.
A Sunday cruise up the Chao Phraya River will cost you less than $10 and includes stops at the Bang Sai's Royal Folk Art Centre and the famous Summer Palace at Bang Pa-In.
Across the Chao Phraya River lies the historic district of Thonburi which retains some of the tradition that Bangkok has lost amid its skyscrapers. Home to traditional wooden waterside dwellings, some of the city's finest Buddhist temples and murals and even farms and orchards, it's a different world to the Bangkok of the Khao San road.
This relaxing spot in the heart of the frenzied city is the place to take a break and observe the residents and tourists going on their way. In the evening you may even see an elephant or two roaming the streets when they're bought in by villagers trying to make a couple of bucks amongst the busy nightlife scene.
Around Pratunam is a warren of backstreets filled with tiny shops and street vendors selling well-designed cotton clothes for around $5. Haggling can save you even more money on purchases.
It may be the city's most notorious tourist destination and heavily influenced by this trade but it's worth a visit and a stroll to take in the lively, unique mix of backpackers, locals and every weird, cheap purchase known to man. Ostensibly a free activity, you may find a walk here tempts you into buying a $2 Thai beer or some of those infamous goods.
