Thailand Full 14 Days itinerary – Bangkok
I am genuinely excited to start the Thailand series, and I know you’ve been waiting for this two-week itinerary as well.
As one of the most eventful trips of the year, we tried to find a balance between seeing as much as possible but also relaxing. Time was limited, and the only regret was that we did not stay longer.
This itinerary starts in Bangkok, heads up north to Chiang Mai, then turns south to the islands of the Andaman Sea and ends in Bangkok, where we return for two more days.
Arriving in Bangkok
Day One
We flew in Bangkok through the Suvarnabhumi Airport and left the rest of the day open to get acquainted with the city.
We also took the public transport from the airport to our hotel, which was probably not the best idea because we were so tired after two chaotic flights.
However, taking the public transport is one of the best ways to get to know the city and its people. What better way to analyze the street style?
Public transport in Bangkok is also simple to use and will save you time, especially if you have to move between busy areas.
Where to stay in Bangkok
We arrived at our hotel Prime Hotel Central Station Bangkok, checked in, and decided to relax a bit. One of the main reasons we chose this hotel is that the Prime hotel is very close to the train station.
Our plans included visiting Chiang Mai shortly after arriving in Thailand, so we had to buy train tickets as soon as possible.
*This post contains affiliate links. As a Booking.com associate, if you book your hotel through my link, I will earn a small commission at no extra cost for you. Thank you for your support!
Train Tickets in Thailand
Soon after we arrived, we went to the train station to buy tickets for the next day. We planned to take the sleeper train to Chiang Mai, but the tickets were not available online – not even a month before going to Thailand. My cousin told me not to worry, just a year before she bought the tickets straight from the station the exact day of departure.
A big surprise was waiting for us once we arrived at the counter – all the trains were fully booked and there there were precisely 33 tickets left. All of the 33 tickets were in 3rd class.
We had no choice but to buy those tickets as plan B, in hopes that we’ll find a flight available.
We arrived back at our hotel and searched for a flight, nothing available that would match our dates. Yes, travel is not always easy, and sometimes it might not live up by your expectations. But it’s certainly worth it. No matter what happened, I never regretted traveling.
“Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind.”
With that quote in mind, we decided to watch the beautiful city from our hotel room and get a good night sleep.
Thailand Full 14 Days itinerary – Bangkok
Day two:
Woke up early to have breakfast and plan the day. We knew that we’re going to be 14 hours on the road, on a train, in 3rd class compartments without AC. Just the thought of it horrified us, but we didn’t want to cancel the trip to Chiang Mai.
You know the feeling when nothing goes according to your plan, so you start strategizing on the spot? Traveling taught me to do a lot of that. Looking at our plans for the week, we had so many activities planned, and I knew that I needed to be well-rested to enjoy any of them.
We decided to go through the itinerary, pick two main attractions, and then return to the hotel to get some rest before taking the night train to Chiang Mai.
We decided to go through the itinerary, pick two main attractions, and then return to the hotel to get some rest before taking the night train to Chiang Mai.
The Prime hotel also had a late checkout policy for an extra fee, and we thought that was the best idea since we could shower and take a nap before the night ride.
Wat Pho
Our first stop? Wat Pho or Wat Phra Chettuphon Wimon Mangkhlaram is one of Bangkok’s oldest temples thought to be built between 1688 and 1703. This is also the place where traditional Thai massage originated, today center for traditional medicine.
I did not expect the place to be this huge. Our “we’ll visit the place in one hour” obviously changed rapidly and we ended up spending more than 3 hours filming, taking photos, witnessing dances or discussing with the locals.
Do not leave this place without seeing the Phra Ubosot, which is the most sacred building in the complex and the main hall utilized for performing Buddhist rituals.
A must-see is also the Reclining Buddha, a golden statue of 15 meters high and 43 meters long, depicting the Buddha entering the Nirvana.
The Grand Palace
An imposing historical, cultural, and religious sight in Bangkok. It is absolutely worth visiting, and I genuinely recommend you to start with.
Keep in mind that the Grand Palace is open until 3.30 pm, and I’m pretty sure you will regret being in a hurry.
We arrived here at noon, and the place was packed with tourists. However, we tried to make the most of our visit and took photos until we were escorted outside … to be honest, it was the best idea to stay late because we were able to take some pictures unbothered by crowds.
If you are anything like us, late and in a hurry – make sure you visit the Temple of Emerald Buddha, which is located here as well and houses the Emerald Buddha Statue, carved from a single jade stone at the beginning of the 14th century.
PS. You are not allowed to take photos inside the Emerald Buddha temple.
Our ride back to the hotel was with an overpriced TucTuc – we were in a hurry, so we were glad we found one available, however do not forget to negotiate with the driver before taking the ride.
We packed our bags for the train ride and bought some snacks for the night. Our hotel offered us free drinks, and we enjoyed the sunset at our terrace, then took a shower and tried to sleep for an hour (I failed miserably at it).
Will tell you all about my train ride in the next post.
Till then, you can take a watch the following video on how we spent the day in Bangkok:
xoxo
Claudia
Wherewindstakeme 
7 responses to “Thailand Full 14 Days Itinerary – First stop Bangkok”
Great info on how to spend a first day in Bangkok! I did the same when I was there, and I would do it again. Can’t wait to see what you did next!
LikeLike
yeah, I’m happy with what we managed to see considering how tired we really were. should have started the trip with the grand palace on the second day but other than that we did pretty good at time management xx
LikeLike
Dream destination! Can’t wait to check it off my list!
LikeLike
it’s amazing
LikeLike
You missed the floating market while in Bangkok … you wil definitely need to go back!
LikeLike
hahaha. we spent two more days in Bangkok and went to a market and a cooking class 😀
LikeLike
[…] here we are, in Bangkok two days before we had to be in Chiang Mai for the festival. The first thing we do, we go to the […]
LikeLike