The best cheap things to do in Bangkok in 2024

Waiting in the Jeddah airport terminal, I was told my many of my fellow experienced Thailand travelers to be wary of Bangkok and to spend only a night there maximum

In my opinion, they could have not been more wrong, Bangkok was one of my favorite cities of my trip and I think if you avoid the tourist traps of Plaza Nana, Khao San Road, and the Grand Palace( more on this later) you will find so much of this city and what the City of Angels has to offer. Heres a list of what I recommend

Nothing could have prepared me for what Chinatown had to offer when I arrived, being that I stayed at Luk Hostel right off the main road, Yaowarat my senses were always peaked and I began to feel at home in this area.

Sam Pheng market is a massive day market that covers the endless alleys in Chinatown, the vendors sell a variety of things but think mostly clothes, gifts, and cooking products. If you are interested in shopping for gifts you may want to do it here.

The streets are crowded and cramped with the common motorbike or carts squeezing past you with little place, its certainly a place you must have an open mind for, but I would say its a great introduction for South East Asia’s famous markets

After about 5:30, the real beast emerges, Yaowarat Road night market.

This market is famous for good reason, simply, its some of the best street food in the world. The blend of Chinese and Thai cuisine at cheap prices certainly makes this place the mecca of streetfood for locals and tourists alike.

You will notice that the police even extend the sidewalks by putting barriers in the middle of the road to make space for the zoo of people you will see here, and I mean its alot. For me a simple 5 minute walk to order food soon became 15 because of the ever constant traffic jams of people

It’s the type of madness that you begin to love when visiting the region, get used to it

Total Cost: Around 60 Baht for an average plate but it depends on what you get

Ko Kret Island, is about 40 minutes outside of Bangkok, and it honestly was one of my favorite trips I did throughout my time in Thailand

Ko Kret is a off the beaten path local village made up of ethnic Mon Burmese settlers, as the island is man-made.

After 3 days in the bustling city, this place was a perfect getaway for the day, with no cars and little villages, it truly feels like a place from ages ago, right outside of a major metropolis.

I recommend renting a bicycle to wander the island, (40 Baht) it should take a few hours with plenty of stops for the 6 wats on the islands, restaurants, and the famous Mon pottery for sale.

On how to get there, I highly recommend using Bangkok’s easy to use public bus system, download the Moovit app and it will give you a detailed route on how to get to Pak Kret pier to take the 3 baht boat to Ko Kret

Public Bus 166 takes you to Pak Kret Pier from the Victory Monument for around 30 Baht

Total Cost= 100 > Baht with Lunch

Bangkok being the sprawling metropolis it is, has some of the most variety of markets I have ever seen. If you have a free afternoon go explore some of Bangkok’s most famous markets.

The flower market in Bangkok is about a 30-minute walk from Chinatown or a 10-minute grab but I recommend walking this one to fully immerse yourself as you will pass Little India as well, which is famous for its variety of textiles although I did not see much Indian food if that’s what you are looking for

The Flower Market are comprised of massive warehouses that is cool, misty, and smells amazing compared to the *less* pleasant smells of Bangkok, it is certainly a nice break and you can spend lots of time here.

The Market itself is unsurprisingly full of flowers, flowers are an essential part of Buddhist culture, especially to give offerings at temples. Each flower in Buddhism has a different meaning, for example, the Lotus is the flower of Enlightenment. Here, your senses will be heightened with the variety of colors and smells.

Alongside Flowers, vendors sell fruits for cheap, around 20 Baht for a massive bag, I had Dragonfruit but there are Mangos, Papaya, Mangosteen, Durian, and all sorts of interesting fruits for you to snack on

If you want a morning break from the chaos of Bangkok and to stop and smell the roses, literally, come here!

Sam Pheng Market is a daytime market located in the alleys in between Chinatown on Yaowarat Road.

The alleyways are packed with motorbikes and pedestrians all going down these side streets, there are all sorts of things for sale here, usually various trinkets and souvenirs, jewelry, clothes, and the occasional street food vendor, if you are seeking something, you will find it here.

This was one of my most memorable experiences throughout my entire trip, and the best part is that It was completely off of the radar to mass tourism.

On my last day in Bangkok, I was scrolling through apple maps and I glanced at the Snake Farm. The Snake Farm is a part of the Red Cross Society Hospital on King Rama IV Road in Central Bangkok. They use the snake farm for venom extractions on the numerous deadly snakes native to Thailand.

For 200 Baht, you will gain access to the hospitals impressive snake zoo and musuem which was quite interesting, but the biggest surprise was the live snake show where they handled these snakes and gave fascination information

Bangkok is a fantastic city and often gets underrepresented as a stopover point for the other fantastic destinations of Thailand.

I was hesitant to spend my first 4 days here, but It remains as one of my favorite cities I have ever visited, and Bangkok can easily be done on a budget. I hope some of these recommendations can make your Bangkok trip and magical as mine