Bangkok is a great base for exploring central Thailand. In a single day, you can wander the ruins of an ancient capital, watch a market pull back as the train goes through, drift along canals or cycle through a jungle in the middle of the city. Here are seven day trips from Bangkok, taken from Mr Schaka’s practical guide.
How to plan your day trips from Bangkok
For each outing, you have two options: an organized tour (agencies, online platforms, hotels), convenient but often tightly timed, or public transport, cheaper and more flexible. A third option is very comfortable if there are several of you: hire a car with a driver for the day, for about 2,500 to 4,000 THB depending on the distance.
Ayutthaya, the ancient capital
Eighty kilometers to the north, Ayutthaya was the capital of the Kingdom of Siam for more than four centuries (1351–1767). In the 17th century, it was one of the largest and richest cities in the world, where Portuguese, Dutch, Japanese, Chinese, Persian and French merchants rubbed shoulders. Destroyed by the Burmese army in 1767, it was never rebuilt. Its ruins, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, spread across an island ringed by rivers.
- Wat Mahathat, famous for its Buddha head caught in the roots of a fig tree.
- Wat Phra Si Sanphet and its three great stupas in a row.
- Wat Chaiwatthanaram, on the riverbank, magnificent at sunset.
- Wat Lokayasutharam and its huge open-air Reclining Buddha.
- Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon, with its great stupa surrounded by saffron-draped Buddhas.
Getting there: by train from Krung Thep Aphiwat station (about 1.5 hours), by minibus from Mo Chit, or on an organized tour. Once there, get around by bike, by tuk-tuk hired by the hour (about 200 to 300 THB) or by boat. The main temples cost about 50 to 100 THB each.
Tip: visit Ayutthaya early in the morning or late in the day, and stay the night if you can. The ruins lit up in the evening are magical, and you’ll avoid the midday heat.
Maeklong and the floating markets
About 70 kilometers southwest, the vendors at Maeklong Market have set up their stalls right on the railroad tracks. Several times a day, when the siren sounds, they fold up their awnings in a matter of seconds. The train creeps through, inches from the goods, and then everything goes back into place. It’s nicknamed “talat rom hup,” the market of the folding umbrellas. Check the train times, which change regularly, and get there a little early.
Maeklong is often combined with a floating market:
- Damnoen Saduak, the most famous, about 100 kilometers away. Very photogenic, but it’s become a tourist product. Go very early in the morning.
- Amphawa, more authentic and popular with Thais, from Friday to Sunday in the late afternoon and evening. You eat seafood grilled on boats, then boats take you out to watch the fireflies twinkling in the trees.
- Khlong Lat Mayom and Taling Chan, small waterside markets on the Thonburi side, popular with families on weekends.
Bang Krachao and Ko Kret: nature on the city’s doorstep
Bang Krachao, just across from Khlong Toei port, is a peninsula that has stayed surprisingly green, nicknamed “Bangkok’s green lung”: orchards, mangroves and stilt houses linked by paths and raised walkways. Rent a bike (about 100 THB for the day) and ride around Sri Nakhon Khuean Khan Park, with its lake and observation tower. On Saturdays, the small Bang Nam Phueng floating market sells local produce. Getting there: taxi to Wat Khlong Toei Nok pier, then a boat across for a few baht.
Ko Kret, on the Chao Phraya north of Bangkok, is home to a Mon community, a people originally from Burma, known for their pottery. Car-free, the island is best explored on foot or by bike, along a path that loops all the way around it: potters’ workshops, temples, traditional desserts. Very busy on weekends, quieter during the week.
Muang Boran and Kanchanaburi
Muang Boran, the Ancient City, in Samut Prakan, is a vast park shaped like a map of Thailand. More than 100 replicas of the country’s finest monuments are scattered among lakes and gardens, to be explored by electric cart or bike. Admission: about 700 THB. Close by, the Erawan Museum is topped by a gigantic three-headed bronze elephant. Getting there: BTS to Kheha, then a ten-minute taxi ride.
Kanchanaburi, about 130 kilometers west, is known for the Bridge on the River Kwai. It was part of the “Death Railway,” built during World War II at the cost of tens of thousands of prisoners’ and forced laborers’ lives. The war cemeteries and the railway museum bear witness to it. The region also offers the Erawan waterfalls, rivers and forests. It’s doable in a day but long: ideally, spend one or two nights there.
And for the beach?
The closest are Pattaya (2 hours), nicer on the Jomtien side, Hua Hin (3 hours), calm and family-friendly, and Ko Samet (3.5 hours including the boat), a small island with white-sand beaches. Phuket, Krabi and Ko Samui are about an hour away by plane.
Read also: Ayutthaya from Bangkok in a Day: Trains, Temples and Tips · Kanchanaburi and the River Kwai Bridge: a guide from Bangkok · Hua Hin: Bangkok’s Favourite Beach Escape, a Practical Guide
Want to go further?
Mr Schaka’s practical guide, Bangkok – The Practical Guide (“Bangkok – The Practical Guide,” in English), covers each day trip from Bangkok in detail, with transport, prices and multi-day itineraries to plan your stay. The English edition is out now as a PDF ebook: buy it here →
