Things to do in Bangkok

Day trips first — Ayutthaya and floating-market tours sell out on weekends and public holidays, so book them the moment your dates are fixed. Dinner-cruise tables, Mahanakhon SkyWalk sunset slots (book a day ahead) and the Safari World combo (cheaper online than at the gate) are the other three. Temples need no booking — you pay at the gate.

Cheap by international standards. Half-day city tours run ฿700-1,800 ($20-50), full day trips ฿1,000-2,000 ($29-57), dinner cruises start around ฿700-800 ($20-23), and Safari World with Marine Park is about ฿1,100 ($31). Temple entry is separate — the Grand Palace is around ฿500 ($15).

Most organised day trips do — pickups from central hotels run between 6 and 8 am, and the early start is deliberate: Ayutthaya and the markets are far better before the heat. City tours vary, so check the pickup line on each ticket.

It's Bangkok's signature evening — two hours past the floodlit Grand Palace and Wat Arun with a buffet on board. The ฿800-1,100 ($23-31) boats give you the same views as boats charging double; ask for a 7:30-8 pm departure so the temples are fully lit. If loud live music isn't your thing, the public ferry at sunset costs about ฿16 ($0.45) and shows you the same river.

No — pay at the gate. The Grand Palace (around ฿500 / $15) opens at 8:30 am; arrive then, because by 10 am it's hot and packed. Dress code is enforced: covered shoulders and knees. And if anyone outside tells you it's "closed for a ceremony" and offers a tuk-tuk tour instead, keep walking — it's the city's oldest scam.