Solo travel · Bangkok · Thailand
Solo travel in Bangkok
How to enjoy Bangkok at your own pace.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
Bangkok is a classic starting point for solo travel in Southeast Asia: hostels are plentiful and social, street food makes eating alone easy and inexpensive, and transport is simple once you learn the BTS, MRT and river boats. It is also the hub for onward trips to the islands and the north. Many solo travellers base themselves in Banglamphu and Khao San.
Key facts
- Base
- Banglamphu and Khao San
- Getting around
- Metro
- Emergency number
- 191 police; 1669 ambulance; 1155 Tourist Police
- Language
- Thai
Solo travel tips
- Stay near a BTS or MRT station so you are not dependent on taxis in traffic.
- Join a food tour or cooking class to meet other travellers and learn what to order.
- Ignore strangers who say an attraction is closed and offer to take you somewhere else; it is a common scam.
- Use Grab or Bolt at night and share your trip details with someone.
- Keep valuables zipped and in front of you at Chatuchak, in Chinatown and on crowded boats.
Where to stay
$ · Best for budget, nightlife and solo travellers
Banglamphu and Khao San
Khao San Road is the city's famous backpacker strip of guesthouses, bars and street food, loud until late at night. The surrounding Banglamphu district is calmer, with Phra Sumen Fort and its riverside park, the lanes of Soi Rambuttri, old shophouses and river piers, all within walking distance of the Grand Palace.
- Good
- Inexpensive rooms and food; Easy to meet other travellers; Walkable to the old town
- Watch out
- Very noisy around Khao San; No skytrain or metro station
- Nearby
- Khao San Road, Phra Sumen Fort, Wat Saket, Democracy Monument
Great on your own
Palace · Rattanakosin
Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew
Arrive at opening to beat the heat and tour groups, and ignore anyone outside who says the palace is closed today; it is a well-known scam that ends at gem shops.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Architecture
- Art
Religious site · Rattanakosin
Wat Pho
Drop a coin into each of the 108 bronze bowls along the Reclining Buddha's back for luck, then book a massage at the temple's school.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- History
- Art
- Architecture
Religious site · Thonburi
Wat Arun
See it close up in the morning, then watch it light up at sunset from a riverside terrace on the Tha Tien side.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- Architecture
- Photo spot
- Views
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Experience · Chao Phraya River
Chao Phraya Express Boat
Use the regular orange-flag boats rather than tourist boats to save money, and let passengers off before you board.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Views
- Iconic
- Photo spot
- Kids
Religious site · Chinatown
Wat Traimit (Golden Buddha)
Visit before an evening in Chinatown; it is a short walk from MRT Hua Lamphong.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Iconic
- Art
Experience · Riverside
Rooftop bars
Go just before sunset for both views, and expect cocktails to cost several times street prices.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Expensive
- After dark
- Views
- Couples
- Iconic
Meeting people
- Chinatown after dark — Walk Yaowarat Road from about 6pm, grazing on grilled seafood, rolled noodles and Chinese desserts from the stalls with the longest local queues.
- Or Tor Kor Market — A spotless covered fresh market beside Chatuchak, near MRT Kamphaeng Phet, known for top-quality fruit, curry pastes and ready-made dishes to eat in its food court.
- Sukhumvit and Thong Lo — Cocktail bars, craft-beer pubs, clubs and live music from Nana to Ekkamai, with a smarter crowd around Thong Lo.
- Khao San Road — Inexpensive drinks, street bars and loud music with a young backpacker crowd until late.
Sensible precautions
Bangkok is generally safe for visitors, but well-known scams target tourists: the 'Grand Palace is closed' trick, cheap tuk-tuk tours to gem shops and unmetered taxis. Traffic is the bigger everyday risk — watch for motorbikes even on pavements — and the heat and humidity can cause exhaustion, so drink plenty of water.
- Emergency number
- 191 police; 1669 ambulance; 1155 Tourist Police
- Staying connected
- Tourist SIM cards and eSIMs with generous data are sold at the airports and convenience stores, and free Wi-Fi is common in malls and cafés.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Bangkok good for solo travellers?
Bangkok is a classic starting point for solo travel in Southeast Asia: hostels are plentiful and social, street food makes eating alone easy and inexpensive, and transport is simple once you learn the BTS, MRT and river boats. It is also the hub for onward trips to the islands and the north.
+Where should solo travellers stay in Bangkok?
Banglamphu and Khao San: Backpacker street, guesthouses and old-Bangkok lanes near the river.