With green spaces, colorful markets, and warm hospitality—there is so much more to Bangkok than meets the eye.
Bangkok is not your average beauty. She doesn’t have the chic panache of Paris or imperial charm of Kyoto. Bangkok is never going to make the list of Greenest Cities or be awarded the Most Relaxing Metropolis. The beauty of this frantic, bustling, ancient Asian capital instead exists in a million tiny moments—from fragrant blooms threaded onto prayer lanyards at the flower markets to the soft steam off a perfect, egg-encased Pad Thai at a street stall. Watching a sunset over Wat Arun can be life-affirming. The Chao Phraya River at dawn is a Rudyard Kipling scene of slowly puttering longtail boats, backdropped by the softest pink sky. This city is truly is one of the most beautiful places on Earth in the most unexpected ways. Bangkok, Thailand also has a brand new park this year, and her residents are celebrating newly open borders, welcoming back tourists once more. Here are 15 of its most beautiful places to explore.