What you can do on a long Bangkok layover?

So you're flying from one country to the next and get a little excited when you find that you're going to have a long layover in Bangkok. Not the kind where you have to make camp on the carpet at your gate. But a day layover where you get some solid daylight hours to explore Thailand's busy and beguiling capital. (There is no carpet in Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport anyways, so lucky you.) As I write I am waiting at my gate to board my flight back to Sydney that leaves at 7:20pm. At 6:20am this morning I had just landed in Bangkok on a flight from Oslo. The day-long layover was perfect - giving me 13 hours to exploration time. Of course you're biggest concern with a layover jaunt is getting back to the airport in time for your evening flight. Which quite honestly is a major concern in Bangkok because the traffic can be horrendous. And you don't want to find yourself sweating bullets in the back of a taxi, sitting in gridlock, while your flight is boarding.

Here are your best options for short day outings in Bangkok:

Khlong Mat Lyong Floating Market:

This is a cool experience more on the traditional side - as there are more locals than tourists here. There are not heaps of boats but the food stalls and walking along the river are nice. You also have the option of taking a boat tour for about 100 baht for about 1.5 hours.

Getting there: The Floating Market is a possible option but it is 100km outside of the city. You will first have to get to the central bus station from the airport and then take another bus for about 2 hours.

It's kinda risky and with having to make sure you're back in time for your flight, you might end up spending more time on a bus than enjoying the market.

Siam Square

If a bigger priority is getting in some last-minute shopping before you head home, then go straight to Siam Square. It's opposite experience of the markets - modern and buzzing. It's the biggest shopping centre in Thailand - you'll enjoy wandering around and discovering Asian brands.

Getting there: What makes Siam Square a super layover option is that it's really easy to get to from the airport by the Airport Rail Link. Take the Express Line to Phaya Thai station, a ride that takes 17 minutes. Then switch onto the BTS Sukhumvit Line and ride it to Siam station. That means it's also low-risk as you won't have to worry about traffic with the trains.

Koh San Road I recommend a mid-point - heading straight to the backpacker central of Koh San Road for two number of reasons: 1. There is public bus at the airport that will take you there for 60 baht. It takes about an hour and 10 minutes. It's the yellow S1 bus outside gate on the Arrivals floor. Just look for the other backpackers already on the bus. 2. Once you're there there are a plethora of accessible and nearby activities. You can take a short tour of the city on a tuk tuk, get a massage, shop, eat and wander around the Palace close by.

This morning I checked my bag into the luggage storage and jumped on the S1 bus (Luggage storage is on the arrivals level and costs 150 baht for a big bag and $100 for a small one) and spent the day on Koh San Road.

Priority number one was getting a massage. After weeks of hiking in Norway my body needed it. An hour long oil massage was 350 baht but you can get it for cheaper. Food was next. I loooove Thai food, its hot it's flavourful, it's usually easy for me to navigate with my lactose intolerant tummy. And best of all it's cheap!!!On Koh San Road you have the choice of pricier western style restaurants or cheap local fare. I was so excited that I could actually eat out after spending 2 weeks in ridiculously expensive Norway that I did it all: restaurants and street kiosks. I must have eaten like 5 times. Shopping was also great. I bought lots of little trinkets, jewellery, earrings and things to decorate my apartment. I'm all I spent about $70 Australian dollars on the luggage storage, transport, food, the massage and shopping.

I made the mistake of not checking prices and not haggling much before I bought though (My head was still in strict Norweigan airspace.) So I'm sure you can get away with much much less. Plus, I was going for broke trying to finish my remaining foreign exchange.

If you have a wander online you will find lots of option for spending one day in Bangkok. But heed my little warning, lots of those sites are by tour operators. Some of those places are far away and will take a long time to get to. Having a layover in Bangkok is different from having one-day in Bangkok. Don't pack a schedule with seeing multiple site and activities in a short window of time. Remember that jet lag will probably hit you mid-way through the day, so you're going to want to have the option of stopping somewhere cool and have a litte lie-down.

Also you're number one priority is making sure it's somewhere easily accessible from the airport, so don't miss you flight.

If you discover any other great Bangkok layover options. Share them with me and I'll post them.

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