What to Do in Bangkok with a One-Day City Pass

You’ve arrived in the kingdom, keen to explore its capital before heading south, north, or east. How to make the most of your time in Bangkok? With the TAGTHAi City Pass, “you get a bit of everything in Thailand,” says Taro, the founder and head of TAGTHAi, an app delivering a seamless travel experience.

Best known for glittering temples, the winding Chao Phraya River, and authentic floating markets, Bangkok is said to attack your senses. Loud tuk-tuks zoom past, spicy scents emanate from street kitchens, and golden temples sparkle in the sunlight. But what to do in Bangkok in one day? Aside from the top attractions, here’s what to explore with the City Pass, from spa delights and wax treatments to thrilling VR worlds. Dive in.

Experience Wat Suthat – Perhaps a Future World Heritage Site

Eat your Joke – thick rice congee porridge – drink up your Thai coffee, and soak up the morning sun as you head for the Old Town’s Wat Suthat. Also called Temple of the Giant Swing due to the 21m-tall teak swing in front, Wat Suthat Thepwararam is one of Bangkok’s oldest Buddhist temples. King Rama I ordered the erection of Wat Suthat in the 18th century to protect a bronze Buddha statue from 13th-century Sukhothai, and King Rama III completed the temple in 1847.

Show the staff your unique QR code and the reservation you’ve made in the TAGTHAi app to enter the temple complex. Surrounded by stone sculptures from China and eight-tiered hexagonal pagodas, Wat Suthat is set on 10 gorgeous acres. The temple reflects on the courtyard’s marble flooring, and just as eye-catching is the long line of gilded Buddha figures guarding the chapel. 

Opening one of the four hand-carved teak slab doors, you’ll be stepping inside the prayer hall, marveling at the eight-meter-tall Buddha, the teak ceiling, chandeliers, and frescoes telling the story of Buddha’s 24 incarnations. Include this temple on your list of what to see in Bangkok. It’s not for nothing that Thailand’s culture ministry submitted Wat Suthat to UNESCO for consideration as a future World Heritage Site in 2005.

Get a New Look at Treasure Spa & Salon

You could be spending hours gazing at Wat Suthat’s murals depicting daily life in the Rattanakosin era, but Treasure Spa & Salon at Siam Square One is a must-do on your Bangkok itinerary. Treasure Spa isn’t a run-of-the-mill parlor; you’ll get treatments from around the world.

What about a smart new haircut? Treasure’s hairdressers are masters at their craft. Bangs, blunt cuts, or long layers – they cut and style your hair meticulously until it looks perfect for you. 

Or maybe you feel like waxing your armpits. To ease the waxing process, your therapist exfoliates your skin to rid you of dead skin cells and powders your underarms with talcum powder. If removing your hair from the root sounds like a painful matter, pamper yourself afterwards with a hot stone massage. Imagine the feeling of warm oil applied to your skin with smooth stones, not to mention the Aromatic Lava Shell Body Massage and many others.

Whether you like Arabian-style Signature Royal Hammam or the mineral-rich Rhassoul Clay from Morocco’s Mount Atlas, you’re spoiled for choice at Treasure Spa & Salon.

Play Exciting Games at Bangkok’s VR Arcade

Experience another world after lunch in one of the numerous restaurants you can go to using the TAGTHAi City Pass. Located at Gateway Ekkamai, a Japanese-themed community mall, Total VR is Bangkok’s first VR arcade.

Setting foot on the premises, be warned you’ll have to drag your youngsters when it’s time to leave. Take Fruit Ninja, for example; kids love it. Holding the device sideways, they can slice fruits that jump into the screen using their fingers. As the game advances, more and more fruits appear, making it challenging for players to cut numerous fruits at once.

Google Earth VR lets you stroll the streets of Tokyo, soar over the Amazon River, or wander around the Eiffel Tower. Exploring Bangkok, let’s not forget the aptly named Highway Madness. Whether your character competes with global friends in the roof jumping, road crossing, or shootout game – hair-raising fun is guaranteed.

Let a Blind Therapist Treat You at Asawasdee Blind Massage by TAB

Still wondering what to do in Bangkok? Should your muscles hurt from spine-chilling VR horror or multiplayer games, a Thai massage from a blind person will provide relief. A Thai massage therapist uses compression, acupressure, and passive stretching. Now picture a blind person squeezing and rubbing your body.

The visually impaired are said to have a better sense of touch than the sighted, which rings true given their daily dependence on tactile sensitivity.

Asawasdee Blind Massage by TAB was launched in August 2020 to provide employment for sightless people and offer a new massage concept. It’s lived to tell the tale for a reason. You’ll find the place at Samsen Nai, a kilometer east of the Victory Monument. It’s open daily from 10 am to 7 pm. Enjoy!

Round Off Your Day at VELA Rooftop Bar

Make your way to VELA Rooftop Bar when twilight falls. Conveniently located at Sanam Pao near Victory Monument, VELA is the perfect place to have a whiskey or two, make new friends, and lap up the chilled-out atmosphere. 

The bar’s outdoor zone on the fifth floor overlooks the main road and BTS Station Sanam Pao, and the air-conditioned indoor space with rope pendant lights uses an industrial style. Mind you, despite the dark tones, decorative plants add a calming natural touch to this urban setting.

Bus, the chef, is one of the four best contestants in Top Chef Thailand Season 1, a Thai reality TV series. He ensures you get the “Thai Taste Twist” that includes fried and grilled snacks, spicy and non-spicy salads and soups, spaghetti, and steaks. Complete with live bands playing jazz, pop and funk, R&B, soul, and indie folk each evening, this is a cool place to sip cocktails and watch the world go by on the terrace.

Now that you’ve experienced the all-out attack on the senses and know what to do in Bangkok, continue to make your own history in the rest of the kingdom. With TAGTHAi, you “get a bit of everything in Thailand.”