Bangkok's headline sights are adjacent on the river, which means one well-timed morning covers almost all of them — and the timing is what matters.
The morning that works
Start at 8am. Both the heat and the crowds build fast, and by eleven the Grand Palace is uncomfortable in both respects.
1. The Grand Palace, with Wat Phra Kaew and the Emerald Buddha inside it. About two hours. This is the strictest site for dress code and the busiest.
2. Wat Pho, adjacent — the reclining Buddha, 46 metres long, and the traditional massage school. A massage here is genuinely good and costs a fraction of what a hotel charges.
3. Wat Arun, a short cross-river ferry from the Wat Pho pier. The porcelain-encrusted spire, climbable partway up.
Four hours including breaks. Then get out of the sun.
Dress code
Shoulders and knees covered for everyone. Shoes off where indicated.
The Grand Palace enforces this strictly and rents coverings at the gate — which costs time and money you can avoid by dressing correctly.
Never point your feet toward a Buddha image or a monk. Feet are the lowest part of the body in Thai thinking, and this is a genuine offence rather than a technicality.
Women should not touch a monk or hand objects directly to one.
The scam
Outside the Grand Palace and Wat Pho, a friendly, well-dressed person will tell you the site is closed for a ceremony and offer an alternative tuk-tuk itinerary at a suspiciously low price.
It ends at a gem shop or a tailor paying commission.
The site is not closed. Walk to the official entrance and look.
The other landmarks
Wat Saket, the Golden Mount — a temple on an artificial hill with 300 steps and a full view of the old city. Far quieter than the big three.
Wat Benchamabophit, the Marble Temple, in white Carrara marble.
Jim Thompson House — a teak compound assembled by the American silk merchant who vanished in Malaysia in 1967. Guided, an hour, and it is a good indoor option for the hot afternoon.
Wat Traimit in Chinatown, with a five-tonne solid gold Buddha discovered under plaster.
Getting there
The Chao Phraya express boat — 16–33 baht, stopping at piers near all the main sites, and the best sightseeing in the city for the price of a fare.
MRT to Sanam Chai, close to Wat Pho.
Both beat taxis; the old city traffic is heavy through most of the day.
The afternoon
Once the temples are done, the rest of Bangkok is modern and air-conditioned.
Chinatown (Yaowarat) after dark for the street food.
Bang Krachao, the undeveloped island a ten-minute boat from Klong Toey, for bicycles and greenery.
Chatuchak market at the weekend, 15,000 stalls, in the morning.
A rooftop bar at sunset, with a dress code.