10 Out Of The Box Things To Do When In Bangkok

10 Out Of The Box Things To Do When In Bangkok
Adithya
Adithya 
Updated
| 7 min read
Pallavi Mandar Jadhav
Endorsed by a Bangkok Local Expert
|
Pallavi Mandar Jadhav

Bangkok, the capital city of Thailand, is known for its fast-paced street life, temples, and tuk tuks. Bangkok is full of street markets, and even has some floating river markets. Bangkok is a city equivalent to two! With malls next to rural homes, slow-moving traffic next to boats on the river or canals, and peaceful temples coupled with party streets, Bangkok really does offer the best of all worlds. Apart from all the street markets and temples you can visit, Bangkok has a few interesting and out-of-the-box activities to keep you entertained:

1. Learn to cook Thai food in half a day (from USD 35.7)

10 out of the box things to do when in bangkok | learn to cook thai food in half a day
Source: Getyourguide

This cooking class will teach you to prepare Thai food in no time, so you can impress your friends back at home. The class includes a market trip to purchase fresh produce. You will learn a total of four dishes in small groups so that you’ll get hands-on help from the chef. The courses are available either in the morning or afternoon, so there’s flexibility around your travel itinerary.

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Bangkok: Half-Day Thai Cooking Class with Market Tour

Duration: 4.0 hour

547 reviews

2. Enjoy a romantic river dinner date (from USD 39.0)

10 out of the box things to do when in bangkok | enjoy a romantic river dinner date
Source: Viator

Experience premium dining as you cruise along the Chao Phraya River, passing iconic attractions luminescent in the evening’s lights. Enjoy a traditional Thai buffet while enjoying the city’s silhouette. There’s also a live band playing for added ambiance. After your dinner, you can enjoy performances from other entertainers too. This luxurious river boat is the perfect setting for a romantic dinner date.

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Bangkok Dinner Cruise on the Chao Phraya River

Duration: 120 to 150 minutes

624 reviews

3. Enjoy the ancient martial art with a Muay Thai show (from USD 40.0)

10 out of the box things to do when in bangkok | enjoy the ancient martial art with a muay thai show
Source: Viator

Muay Thai is an ancient form of martial arts, and this tour combines combat with a lively theatrical show. THE FIGHT IS REAL, PEOPLE! A genuine fight takes place between the star fighters after the theatrical show. Muay Thai Live features surreal Muay Thai fights, breathtaking stunts, and wondrous special effects, with the richness of Thai history included. You’ll even get a chance to take pictures with the stars of the show. The show tells the tale of the origins of Muay Thai and about some of its legendary warriors, like the Tiger King in Disguise, the Prisoner with Eight Limbs, the Warrior of Broken Swords, and many more!

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Muay Thai Live Show: The Legends and Heroes of Thai Boxing

Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes

4 reviews

4. Feel the fear (and do it anyway!) at this Museum of Death

Siriraj Hospital
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Sry85 used under CC BY 2.5

Warning: This is definitely NOT for the squeamish. Museum: often a fancy-looking building with a lot of old exhibits, which might get boring for the average crowd. The Pathology and Forensic Museums are unlike other museums, aren’t fancy, and have no artistic or cultural displays (you might actually want to think twice before you go!). Located in Siriraj Hospital, these museums are best for those looking for something unusual and morbid. The hospital actually houses 3 museums, but the Pathology and Forensic Museums are probably the most intriguing. The Pathological Museum displays babies affected by genetic disorders. There is also a room dedicated to exhibits of parasites.

Head over to the Forensic Museum (it is a little more intense), where you can find the bodies of accident victims, murderers, and even the dried body of an infamous madman who is rumored​ to have eaten the livers of kids. The remains have been preserved to remind people and to try and prevent the repetition of such an incident.

Pathology and Forensic Museum

Address: Siriraj Hospital, 2 Wang Lang Rd. | Siriraj, Bangkok Noi, Bangkok 10700, Thailand

Contact: +66 24192619

Pathology and Forensic Museum

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Bangkok Tour Guide

arnon aramnun

Arnon Aramnun

Hello My name is Arnon. I live in Bangkok I love to be guide Traveler and show you where's amazing of Thailand, you will know more about Thailand and get a great memory with new friends. I can guarantee you an outstanding experience with fun activities and knowledge on Thai history. I like to travel very much and i like to find some delicious food to taste, You'll have the chance to enjoy and have fun all day, guaranteed! If you already have any idea of your dream holiday in Thailand, send an enquiry and we will design your perfect tailor made holiday!

Tours by Arnon

Bangkok Tour Guide

Thitikarn Tantiananporn

Thitikarn Tantiananporn

5. Hitch a scooter ride around Bangkok

Hitch a ride
Source: eOasia

Take a tour around Bangkok on the back of a scooter. This tour is a great option for first-timers who don’t know what they want to visit when in Bangkok. This tour gives you an overview of the entire city, skimming through all the main attractions in 3 hours, allowing you to decide whether you want to come back and get a better idea of the attraction. Guides will talk to you through a headset as you cruise slowly through the mainstream and hidden streets of Bangkok. Pick-up points start and end at your hotel, though the end point can be changed upon request.

Scooter City Tour in Bangkok

Price: 50 USD

Duration: around 3 hours required

Contact: +65 6850 5065

Book Now: Scooter City Tour in Bangkok

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6. Walk the riverbank like a local

Walking tours
Source: eOasia

The walking tour takes you along the riverbank on the Thonburi side of the city, where the pioneer communities remain and you can spot tons of Thai temples, Christian shrines, churches, and mosques. Explore the diverse cultures in this little district and listen to the stories of how each culture ended up there. Pick up local snacks as you walk along a foodie heaven, Tha Din Daeng. Discover hidden passages and backstreets and pass by several landmarks and places of interest. End your lovely walk at Wat Kalayanamit, a famous but not frequently-visited Temple. This temple, despite being built in a traditional Thai style, has clear signs of Chinese architecture incorporated.

Cultural Walking Tour

Price: 29 USD

Duration: around 3 hours required

Contact: +65 6850 5065

Book Now: Cultural Walking Tours

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7. Cycle around Ko Kret Village all day long

Cycling through the village
Source: eOasia

Get to Ko Kret island via the Chao Phraya River. Take in the purity at the peaceful and quite Ko Kret island as you cycle all around this island (since there are no cars on the island). The island is mainly populated by members of the Mon ethnic group, who happen to be experts at the art of craftsmanship and have awe-worthy skills at pottery. The main village is a marketplace for earthen merchandise. On Ko Kret Island you will visit the island’s Ancient Mon Pottery Center, Wat Mon, or Wat Paramai Yikawat, which contains a Mon-style marble Buddha. The one road round the island is a treat to cycle on due to the absence of cars. There are almost 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) of roads to cycle, and even the younger ones can navigate the roads easily. Your biking trip will start at a peaceful canal and you’ll slowly pass by the river life to enter the rural village setting filled with rice paddies. You will also be provided with an English-speaking guide. You will finish the cycling session by crossing back over the river to Wat Bang Jak. Treat yourself to a mouth-watering Thai lunch facing the river after a long and tiring day. Pick-up starts at 7 am and you will leave the island at around 4 pm.

Cycling Around Ko Kret Island And Its Pottery Village

You will be picked up at the hotel

Price: 110 USD

Duration: 7 am - 4 pm

Contact: +65 6850 5065

Book Now: Full Day Cycling Around Ko Kret Island And Its Pottery Village

Tip from Trip101 local expert

Even the most out of box and offbeat activities in Bangkok will have a crowd. Koh Kret and Bang Krachao are truly off beat places where you are not likely to encounter a lot of tourists and can simple spend a slow day. Other great places of-beat places where you are likely you are likely to primarily encounter locals is Lumphini Park and Benjakitti Forest Park.

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8. Watch stories come to life with a Thai puppet show

Traditional Thai puppet show
Source: eOasia

Editor’s Note: This show is currently unavailable. A puppet show is often a childhood bucket-list activity. Watching those inanimate objects come to life in the form of a fictional story is a child’s dream come true. Here in Bangkok, relive your childhood and let your children make their own memories at the Thai Puppet Show. Perfectly blended with traditional Thai cuisine, these puppet shows are not to be missed. The shows are commonly held at night. You are served the dish of your choice before the show (it could be a local dish or an international dish). The performance starts after dinner as the inanimate objects begin the tales of Thailand’s history. Comical cock-fighting scenes or touchy love scenes that make a tear roll down your eye, the puppets portray them all. The themes may differ from theater to theater but the quality is the same. The puppeteers transfer the powerful emotions of each character to the lifeless objects so well that it may almost be hard to tell the difference. It really is a beautiful display for the eye and mind. At the end, you realize that once is never enough and want to go for more.

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9. Spend a day as a Thai fisherman (from USD 179.0)

10 out of the box things to do when in bangkok | spend a day as a thai fisherman
Source: Viator

Spend a day in the shoes of a Thai fisherman as you gather cockles and shrimps and see how the fisherman earns a living. Take in a new atmosphere as you enter a small fishing village on the outskirts of Bangkok. Your local guide will show you what Thai hospitality is like. Learn how to make crafts and get deep as you pick cockles. The saying goes ‘All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy’, so hop back into the waist-deep muddy water after lunch for some games. You can also experience the Thai railway, a blast to the past when metro rails and high-speed trains did not exist. You can also take a truck-taxi, known locally as a songthaew. If you’re still curious and want to explore the place a bit more, rent a kayak and explore houses alongside and over the canal. Hop on the boat ride to the Gulf of Thailand, where you will be told about the sunken village, following which you will head back to the mainland for a delicious homemade meal. ​

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Explore! A Day as a Fisherman

Duration: 7 hours 30 minutes

10. Explore the nocturnal side of Bangkok in a tuk tuk (from USD 57.0)

explore the nocturnal side of bangkok in a tuk tuk
Source: Viator

You may have seen Bangkok during the day, but the attractions develop a whole new atmosphere once the sun sets and are well worth revisiting. With all of its brilliant lights and architecture, you will be dazzled by the vast transformation. Explore the nightlife in Bangkok in the all-time famous tuk tuk, a small open-air vehicle that has a maximum capacity of 3 people (exclusive of the driver). You will be taken to Old Town, Chinatown, the Grand Palace, Wat Po, and many more. Your tour does not end until you have tasted some authentic local food and drinks.

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Bangkok Tuk Tuk Night Tour Including Dinner

Duration: 4 hours

27 reviews

Bangkok's hidden gems

Bangkok, a city of the diverse, has a lot of mainstream activities like classic museum-hopping or shopping, but many tourists will not fully discover its varied cultural and traditional gems. So, get ready for something you have probably never done before (irrespective of whether you have visited Bangkok or not), and join a few of these cool trips.

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Any must-sees we missed? Tell us about them in the comments section or write a post here to help out fellow travelers!
Disclosure: Trip101 selects the listings in our articles independently. Some of the listings in this article contain affiliate links.

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This article has been endorsed by Bangkok local expert Pallavi Mandar Jadhav

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Adithya is a travel enthusiast who was first exposed to travel during his stay in India. He enjoys writing and loves to discover the unknown. During his free time you can find him watching a movie...Read more

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