On my fifth visit to Bangkok in April 2025, I finally connected all the places I’d explored and put together the puzzles of Bangkok. I stayed the longest at Chatrium Residence Sathon, which has now become my most favorite hotel in Bangkok. This time with my husband, making it feel a little bit like home. I swam daily in its resort-style heated pool. With bridges, palm trees, other greenery, and high buildings in the background, the pool reminds me of Shangri La Jakarta. The studio-style room came fully equipped though I only used the microwave. The food served throughout the day was also excellent.
Though not easily reachable by public transport, this family-friendly hotel offered a free shuttle to Chong Nonsi BTS, 3 km away. I checked there was an interesting place near the station called Chong Nonsi Skywalk. Why oh why I did not know this when I stayed last time in that area? The free shuttle car also ran to two shopping malls: Terminal 21 Rama 3 and Central Rama 3. I did go to these two malls during my stay there, but not using the hotel car. Terminal 21 Rama 3 was near the river, featured charming themed decor and a food court with affordable prices.
On another night, I revisited Asiatique Riverfront after my first failed attempt. We saw the beautiful sunset and lights on the riverside and around the market, and I was personally happy to find a Miniso full of Harry Potter items! We found the restaurants there were not too interesting and quite expensive, and we did not know what to do anymore, so from there we took Grabcar to go to Central Rama 3 shopping mall. As we left, I noticed Big C Foodplace (a hypermarket), Siam Fantasy show (like the Siam Niramit show we watched last time, but now had permanently closed) and some interesting Muslim eateries; wish we’d explored more. However, Central Rama 3 didn’t disappoint. I tried the popular Gaga Bubble Tea and discovered the spacious Think Space B2S bookstore by the food court.
On my last night in Chatrium Sathon, we explored Chinatown (Yaowarat Road) with colleagues and sampled a few authentic street foods. Not only because they’re mostly not halal, but we’re also still full from all-day foods in the meeting. We tried Kanom Gui Chai (pan-fried chives cake), coconut gelato, egg pad-thai, and After You’s Original French Toast which was only served in its Chinatown retail.
The next day, we checked out from Chatrium and moved to a more budget-friendly hotel in Pratunam, Tango Vibrant Living. It was central, convenient, and perfect for last-minute shopping. After dropping our bags in the hotel, we took a bus to Lumpini Park, which I had never explored despite staying nearby before. The park was large and peaceful, with a lake and swan boats, kids playground, fitness and gym equipment, and even a free Suan Lumpini Public Library. Although the park had a lot of tall trees and quite shady here and there, it was still hot for walking around the park at 12 am. We took shelter for a while in the nearby One Bangkok mall. We sat in the food court, planning to have lunch, but we were still full and just ordered a big ice dessert.
We then walked across the street to take a bus towards National Stadium, to visit Jim Thompson House Museum nearby. By paying the ticket of 200 baht per person, we could walk around a traditional Thai house filled with antiques and lush gardens. Once home to the American who introduced Thai silk to the West, it sits by a canal facing a Muslim village that once helped produce the silk. We crossed over to pray at Masjid Darul Falah and had a late halal lunch at a riverside stall nearby.
Nearby was the Jim Thompson Art Center, with a café, galleries (free with museum ticket), and the cozy William Warren Library, named after Thompson’s American friend and former Chulalongkorn lecturer. A free shuttle took us back to the National Stadium BTS (300 meters away).
We then walked to the free-entry Bangkok Art and Culture Center (BACC), home to local arts, cafes, shops, and an art library! Three public libraries in a day, all in touristy places and easy to reach, oh I do love Bangkok! The Jim Thompson House and BACC were very close to the hotel I had ever stayed at before, but I finally had the time to visit both now. The BACC connected to the bustling OneSiam Skywalk with BTS trains passing by, such a breathtaking sight.
We unknowingly retraced our steps from 11 years ago: Siam Paragon to Central World and toward Platinum. At Central World, we bought ChaTraMue Thai Tea (50 baht only and comes with reusable cup, more worth it and better taste than Gaga which priced 85 baht), Butterfly Thai Perfume (my favorite EDP was Jasmine Angel and my husband’s favorite was Bergamot & Clove Bud), and NaRaYa (a long time Thai brand selling fabric products like bags and wallets, in fact I still had the small NaRaYa bag I bought in 2014). When we passed by Shake Shack (an American high-quality fast food chain which had opened in ASEAN neighboring countries, but not Indonesia), we agreed that we’d had enough Thai dishes and would love to eat this comfort food. I also ordered Pandan Sticky Rice Shake (why not Mango ya?), a specialty in Shake Shack Thailand, just like the Ube Shake in the Philippines. Once is enough for these shakes, because they were too large and too sweet; no options for smaller size or less/no sweet. On the way to the hotel, we grabbed breakfast from 7-11 and found a halal brand of cup noodle called San Ruski. I also found this before in another 7-11 in the Pratunam area, but strangely never saw this in other branches (Sukhumvit and Sathon).
The next morning, my husband left for Don Mueang Airport (DMK) at 8 AM by taking the bus in front of Indra Square, only 150 meters away. With a few hours to spare, I shopped at Big C Supercenter Ratchadamri, across Central World, which opened at 9 AM. I arrived 5 minutes before 9, and there were already a lot of people waiting in front of the doors to get inside. It was a hypermart selling everything, especially Thai stuff and souvenirs to bring back home. I then walked to Tofu Skincare, which sold unique and cheap local cosmetics which could not be found in usual beauty stores. I think the descriptions were not too easy to understand (for example, there was a scrub but I couldn’t find any information either in the packaging or in the shelf, whether it’s used for face or body) and the staff were quite busy and not too helping/friendly. I personally prefer shopping in Eveandboy than Tofu, but maybe it’s also because I did not know what must-items to buy there. I wrapped up the shopping at December’s mall, next to Platinum, selling mostly women’s clothes. I finally checked out from the hotel at 11.30 AM, and walked about 300 meters to Ratchaprarop Station (Airport Rail Link) where I could take the train to Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) for 40 baht.
I chose this hotel in the Pratunam area because of the walking distance to the bus to DMK, the train to BKK, and the shopping places I wanted to go. However, the neighborhood was busy and crowded, even at night, and not child-friendly. Choosing where to stay in Bangkok really depends on what you want to do and where you want to go. Out of all my stays (Silom, Siam, Sukhumvit, Sathon, Pratunam), Chatrium Sathon remains my favorite hotel, but for location, I’d choose Sukhumvit area near Phrom Phong BTS Station the most. This preference might be changed in the future, when I discover other more convenient locations.