Bangkok: what to see in 1 day

It is best to arrive early at the Grand Royal Palace, for several centuries the residence of Thai sovereigns and still today the seat of official ceremonies: inside you find the Wat Phra Kaew, the temple that houses the Emerald Buddha, the most venerated statue in the country, actually carved from dark green jade. Access requires clothing that covers shoulders and knees, and arriving among the first hours of opening allows you to visit the courtyards and gilded pavilions of the complex with less crowd.

A few steps away is Wat Pho, the most extensive temple in the city, which takes its popular name from the gigantic reclining golden Buddha forty-six meters long, housed in a single pavilion that leaves room only to skirt it. The complex is also the historic seat of the school of traditional Thai massage, recognized by UNESCO, complete with stone statues reproducing the self-healing positions taught over the centuries.

From the dock opposite Wat Pho you take one of the small boats that cross the river in a few minutes, reaching Wat Arun, the Temple of Dawn: its central tower, covered in polychrome ceramic and porcelain fragments, can be climbed to one of the intermediate terraces, from which you look back toward Rattanakosin and the Grand Palace complex just visited.

Returning to the eastern bank, the early afternoon lends itself to a more tranquil break along the river banks, perhaps stopping at one of the local markets like Wang Lang, also useful for lunch among the stalls of Thai dishes. From here you can continue on foot north to Wat Suthat, with the imposing red giant swing rising in front of its entrance, once used for ceremonies linked to Hindu worship and now preserved as a monument.

Toward evening the city changes completely in atmosphere by moving to Chinatown, the Yaowarat neighborhood: the main street comes alive with the lighting of neon signs and street food stalls, among pots of fish soups, grilled shrimp and fruit stands that have made the neighborhood one of the most noted stops for those seeking the street cuisine of the city.

Traveling Bangkok along the Chao Phraya brings together the most representative places of the old city, from the Grand Palace to Wat Arun, with the more informal parenthesis of Chinatown closing the evening. Left out are the great peripheral markets like Chatuchak, as well as the more modern quarters around Sukhumvit, but between temples, river and street food you already breathe the oldest and most recognizable face of the Thai capital.