Field Notes: Bangkok

In addition to my longer posts, I am going to be publishing short reports from my travels that focus on cities and what to do there. First is Bangkok, and up next is Kuala Lumpur.

Skip the bottom for my list of Bangkok food recommendations.

There are two things that are surprisingly rare in Bangkok: trash bins and babies. It’s no secret that Thailand, and especially its capital, is facing a demographic shift. Fertility rates have plummeted to among the lowest in Southeast Asia, influenced by a combination of urban living costs, work priorities, and evolving social values that discourage large families. Strollers here are more likely to carry dogs than toddlers. Trendy hotels increasingly cater to pet owners, and it’s common to see women in matching outfits with their Pomeranians — a telling sign of changing lifestyles and priorities in the city.

The scarcity of everyday conveniences extends beyond just a quieting nursery scene. Trash bins can be maddeningly elusive. You might end up clutching a finished Thai milk tea for several blocks, scanning every corner in vain before reluctantly stashing it in your bag until you reach your hotel. It’s a small detail, but one that will stick with you as you traverse the city’s crowded sidewalks.

This was my third trip to Bangkok, and for the first time, I ventured into areas known for their seedier nightlife. In previous visits, friends from Thailand guided me through more insular, “local” scenes, and I was never inclined to visit famous spots like Khao San Road or Soi Cowboy. On my way to Bangkok’s main padel club (a fast-growing sport that’s gaining popularity across Asia), I finally had to walk down Soi Cowboy.

Nigerian pimps, another curious fixture in Asian cities that deserves further study, called out from the street’s doorways, promising “full service” and crudely slapping their hands together as I passed. Their presence reflects the city’s layered nightlife economy, where international migration meets local tourism.

While this seedier side contributes to Bangkok’s image as a party capital, it hardly defines the city as a whole. Just blocks away, you’ll find elegant temples, bustling markets, quiet cafes, and neighborhoods where Bangkok’s natives go about daily life, largely unaffected by these pockets of neon-lit vice.

If there’s one truly frustrating aspect of life in Bangkok, it’s getting from place to place. The BTS Skytrain is clean and efficient, but its coverage is limited. Ride-hailing apps like Grab can fill the gap, but you’re still at the mercy of the city’s notoriously snarled traffic. In 2016, traffic lights were shifted from automated timers to manual operation. Police officers stationed at intersections now decide when lights change, and any pause for a bathroom break or a TikTok scroll can extend your wait interminably.

Local friends advise avoiding any travel between 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. to steer clear of the city’s rush hour. These three hours can turn what should be a short hop into a mind-numbing crawl. Just as you think you’re moving forward, a police motorcade might zip by, halting your lane as a sleek, black-tinted minivan slinks past.

To escape the gridlock, I spent one afternoon at Bumrungrad International Hospital, known for its world-class medical tourism services. For a few hundred dollars, I underwent a thorough health check that would make the Mayo Clinic look like a medieval apothecary’s shop. After checking in at the top of a small skyscraper, I changed into beige pajamas and embarked on a medical marathon. Blood tests, ultrasounds, and a cardiac stress test were all handled with assembly-line efficiency.

Waiting for the results, I noticed that nearly all of us patients were travelers. No one made small talk — perhaps out of shyness or the mild absurdity of getting such a premium checkup abroad. Breakfast, courtesy of the Marriott, was served while we waited. Finally, a charming doctor gave me the all-clear, leaving me to marvel at the fact that top-tier healthcare here can feel as common as a hotel lobby check-in.

Having hopped between places where chopsticks or hands are the norm, Thailand’s preference for the fork and spoon felt like coming home. The story goes — and there are varying versions — that one of the country’s early modernizing kings, often cited as Rama V, introduced European utensils after traveling abroad, yet remained wary of arming his subjects with knives. Whether or not this tale is perfectly accurate, it’s illustrative of how old customs merge with outside influences to create something uniquely Thai. These subtle cultural adaptations appear in dress too, with fashion-forward Thais donning wide-legged jeans from the new Carhartt Work in Progress store.

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Bangkok’s culinary landscape is a highlight of any visit. It’s almost impossible to have a bad meal, and you can trust your instincts at even the most unassuming street-side stall. The combination of textures, flavors, and heat — sometimes intense enough to bring tears to a seasoned traveler’s eyes — is unparalleled. I have collected a few of my favourite spots below by category:

The author (background) and a Sam Lor omelette (foreground)

Local:

Sam Lor - Get the omelette
Charmgang - If you can handle very spicy food, there’s few places better
Ten Suns - Beef noodle soup, enough said.

International cuisine:

El Willy - If you get bored of noodles, this is the spot for paella.
Cento - Constantly changing Italian menu, trendy Thais rave about it.

Coffee:

Song Wat Coffee & Roasters - Fun area to walk around
Roots at Thonglor - Only using Thai beans

After dinner:

Thaipioka - Great DJs. Recently renovated, local crowd.
Apt 101 - Another recent opening. Only place to find a salsa evening in Bangkok.

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Bangkok is a city where contradictions thrive. In a place where dog strollers replace baby carriages and traffic lights heed human whims, it’s the city’s unpredictability that keeps you coming back for more.