Things to Do in Bangkok, area by area

Thailand's holiest temple, home to a jade Buddha the king himself changes robes for.

A 46-metre gilded Buddha, the birthplace of Thai massage, and the quietest of the big three temples.

The porcelain-encrusted riverside prang that puts the postcard on Bangkok.

344 steps up an artificial hill for the best free 360° view of old Bangkok.

The world's largest solid gold Buddha — 5.5 tonnes, hidden under stucco for 200 years.

A Carrara-marble Rama V masterpiece where the king ordained as a monk.

A 27-metre red teak swing outside one of Bangkok's grandest and least-visited royal temples.

Bangkok's oldest meditation temple, where you can join free English-language Vipassana classes.

A four-faced Brahma on the busiest corner in Bangkok, wreathed in marigolds and classical Thai dance.

The official residence of the kings of Siam since 1782 — 218,000 square metres of gold, marble and history.

The world's only surviving metal-spired temple — 37 black iron pinnacles rising over the old city.

The royal ordination temple where Thailand's kings have taken monastic vows since 1836.

8,000 stalls across 35 acres — the biggest weekend market in Southeast Asia.

The wooden longtail markets of the Ratchaburi klongs — early, chaotic, and absolutely worth the pre-dawn start.

Six traditional teak houses in a klong-side garden — the home of the American who reinvented Thai silk and then vanished.

Bangkok's green lung — 142 acres of lakes, monitor lizards, tai chi and lunchtime shade.

Bangkok's neon-lit night kitchen — every kind of noodle, dumpling and grilled seafood the city knows.

The city's rooftop drinks scene — 60-storey views, dress codes, and the highest open-air terraces in Southeast Asia.

A converted teak warehouse district turned open-air night market, with a Ferris wheel over the Chao Phraya.

The best skyline view in Bangkok — from a longtail, an orange-flag boat, or a floating dinner buffet.

A drive-through African savanna 40 minutes east of downtown — a genuine family day out.

The backpacker street that gave Bangkok its late-90s myth — pad Thai, beer towers, and 4am tattoos.