糖心传媒

糖心传媒 Local Micaela Marini Higgs moved to Bangkok and quickly fell in love with the city鈥檚 diverse culinary landscape, vibrant markets and maze of sois (lanes). She spends her days wandering through the city鈥檚 neighbourhoods snacking on street food, and her nights sampling Thailand鈥檚 new offerings of craft beer.

When I have friends in town... we always skip the crowds at the Grand Palace and visit the Reclining Buddha at my favourite temple, Wat Pho, instead. The large complex is a great introduction to Thai architecture and tradition. The nearby Pak Khlong Talat flower market, with sidewalks literally overflowing with vibrant blooms, also makes for picture-perfect memories.

The best market to shop is鈥� Chatuchak Weekend Market. Popular among both tourists and locals, you can find absolutely everything here, including souvenirs, vintage clothing or the latest fashions, small art galleries and plenty of t-shirts printed with humorously nonsensical English phrases.

For cheap eats鈥� I eat on the street! Visiting areas with lots of office workers or big lunchtime crowds is an easy way to find Thai favourites for less than 100B. Plus, it鈥檚 a great method for discovering new dishes. Areas like Phahonyothin 7 in Ari or Convent Road in Silom fill up with loyal regulars during lunch, but if you keep an eye out you鈥檒l find outdoor food courts tucked down alleys all around the city. If nothing looks good or I鈥檓 in a hurry, I鈥檒l duck into a 7-Eleven and grab a delicious and filling onigiri rice ball for 27B.

When picking a street stall鈥� I always look at how clean the sauce and condiment containers are. This is a tip I learned from a friend when I first moved to Bangkok, and though there isn鈥檛 a fool-proof way to avoid food poisoning, this suggestion has served me well. The theory is that if they鈥檙e good about keeping these containers clean, they鈥檙e likely also washing their food prep area frequently.

When I want to splash out... I get drinks at , a 'secret' bar that鈥檚 right on Thong Lor. With no signage or windows and an exterior made out of diagonal wood panelling, the bar can be easy to miss from the street, but its exceptional cocktails aren鈥檛 a secret. At around 400B per drink, it鈥檚 the kind of place you go to celebrate or treat yourself, and the affluent crowd makes for fun people-watching. In a city where lots of bartenders stick to strict measurements, I also appreciate that the drinks here are boozy enough that you don鈥檛 have to order too many rounds.

When I鈥檓 up for a big night out鈥� I head to Thong Lor! First, I grab a curry set at Congee & Curry, which fills me up before a night of drinking and is so reasonably priced that I almost don鈥檛 feel guilty about the bar tab I鈥檓 about to rack up. From there I visit The Beer Cap, located on the ground floor of The Commons, for a few craft beers. After that I head to either or T-Rex, two nearby dives known for their chilled atmospheres and alternative music selections, which range from tropical groove to 80s pop.

When I want to get out of the city鈥� I take a trip to Khao Yai, one of Thailand鈥檚 gorgeous national parks only a few hours drive north of Bangkok. You can get a van here from Victory Monument, but make sure to rent a car or scooter for getting around Khao Yai because the attractions are spread out. Though you won鈥檛 have any trouble finding the park鈥檚 large population of mischievous macaques, it鈥檚 worth hiring a guide who can show you the best places to spot elephants and other wildlife. Outside the park, you鈥檒l find fun (and bizarre) recreations of European architecture and landmarks, such as the tower of Pisa, that cater to photo-op loving tourists.

One thing I hate about Bangkok鈥� is the traffic! If you stick with the BTS Skytrain, you can zip around the city quickly, but if you want to venture off the beaten path and find more local offerings it鈥檚 easy to get stuck in gridlock. If you want to visit Chinatown or the Old Town, or plan to be on the road anywhere near rush hour, make sure to factor in traffic time.

What I love most about Bangkok鈥� is that there is always more to discover. Even if you鈥檙e from Bangkok, it鈥檚 impossible to stay on top of all of the new openings or to know the best spots in every neighbourhood, so I鈥檓 constantly finding new places worth recommending. I also adore the diversity 鈥� and quality 鈥� of Bangkok鈥檚 food offerings. One night I can enjoy phenomenal high-end Indian cuisine at one of my favourite restaurants, Charcoal Tandoor Grill & Mixology, and the next day I can eat delicious Chinese food at another favourite, a no-nonsense hole-in-the-wall place called Sun Moon Restaurant.

One tip I鈥檇 give travellers鈥� is to back away from the harem pants, otherwise known as 鈥榚lephant pants鈥�! While they鈥檙e super comfortable, they鈥檝e also become a major clich茅 and draw attention to the fact that you鈥檙e new in town, which t煤k-t煤k scammers take advantage of. While you鈥檙e free to wear what you want, I always tell my visiting friends to save them as a souvenir to wear once they鈥檙e home instead.