The Best Day Trips from Bangkok

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Updated: March 18, 2019

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What are the best day trips from Bangkok?

  • Ayutthaya – This UNESCO World Heritage site is only an hour and a half north of Bangkok by bus. Ayutthaya was the old capital of Thailand until the Burmese burned it down in 1767. Ayutthaya is also home to Wat Phra Mahathat where you can see the famous Buddha head statue with a banyan tree growing around it. After exploring the old city, be sure to eat at Chao Phrom Market. This is a local market and offers authentic Thai dishes. The cheapest way of reaching Ayutthaya is by train and it is also the most scenic. The train departs daily from Hualamphong Train Station and the trip takes about 2 and a half hours. Second class seats with air-con cost 245 baht and third class is just 15 baht. Bus is the fastest way to Ayutthaya. Head to Bangkok’s Northern Bus Terminal where buses depart every 20 minutes until 8:00pm. The First class air-con ticket is 56 baht.
  • Kanchanaburi – Kanchanaburi is famous for the Bridge over the River Kwai and is also home to elephant camps, the Tiger Temple, and the waterfalls of Erawan National Park. JEATH War Museum is on the old grounds of a tiny Thai temple that’s run down, but it gives visitors a sense of how the prisoners of war lived. The Thailand-Burma Railway Museum pays homage to the prisoners of war who built the Death Railway. Buses leave the Southern Bus Terminal daily, every 15-30 minutes depending on class. The ride takes about two hours and costs between 95-110 baht.
  • Amphawa Floating Market – This isn’t a floating market for tourists but for Thais. Amphawa Floating Market is located next to the river with hundreds of shops and stalls built next to the river bank. The atmosphere is relaxed and many locals come here to shop, eat, and unwind. Don’t miss the boats selling noodle dishes. From the Southern Bus Terminal take a bus to Smoot Songkhrama then switch to a bus heading for Amphawa. You must ask locals because all the buses are in Thai. The ride only takes 15 minutes and it is obvious where to stop.
  • The Bat Temple – 90 minutes from Bangkok by train and the ticket is only 20 baht. Wat Pho Bang Khla has been dubbed The Bat Temple due to the thousands of fruit bats. Besides the bats, Wat Pho Bang Khla is an interesting place. It dates back to 1767 and is lined with beautiful images of the Buddha. The Bat Temple runs alongside the Bang Pakong River and through Chachoengsao city, both are lovely places for a stroll.
  • Koh Kred – A tiny island in the Chao Praya River, a few miles north of Bangkok. Only a few hundred people live on the islands, who are descendents from the Mon tribe. Koh Kred is famous for its pottery, Mon Culture and architecture. The island is quite busy on the weekends, best to get there early or on a week day. Take an Express Boat (with the green flag) on the Chao Praya River, north to Pah Kret pier. The boats run between 6:15am and 8am and 3:30pm and 6pm, every 20 minutes. The boat ride takes about an hour. At the Pah Kret pier, take another ferry boat across to Koh Kred. The total ride will cost 15 baht.

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