Greetings from Bangkok! I just spent eight days showing my mom around Thailand. 💕

Since she already spent around 24 hours flying here from Wisconsin, we knew we didn’t want to be traveling too much during our time together. As such, we focused on sightseeing in Bangkok and the surrounding area.
![trafvel]](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49607918938_cd8cfe946e_c.jpg)
We had an incredible time together and this trip helped me rediscover Bangkok through someone else’s eyes. The following post will showcase our itinerary, including restaurants, attractions, and hotel recommendations. Hope you enjoy! 😊
Day 1:
Arrive in Bangkok! After a full night’s rest in Bangkok, we hit the ground running at 7 AM on Saturday morning.

We started the day in the Rattanakosin area, or the Old District, which has most of the historic temples and is located along the Chao Phraya River.

For breakfast we stopped at Baan ThaTien Cafe where we enjoyed a minced pork omelet with rice, pad Thai with shrimp, and coffee.
Cost: 10 USD
After brekkie, we visited Wat Po, or the Temple of the Reclining Buddha.It’s the oldest and largest temple in Bangkok with over 1,000 Buddha images. 😮
The largest is the 150-foot reclining golden Buddha. 😍
Cost: 100 Baht or 3 USD each
From there we took a ferry boat to Icon Siam, stopping at Wat Arun for photo ops along the way.

Icon Siam is one of the most sensational riverside shopping malls in Bangkok. It has over 500 designer shops, luxury residences, and even a floating market on the inside! 🛍️
Cost: priceless window shopping
From there we took a ferry back across the river and then took the BTS sky train to the Pratunam District, which is close to my condo. This area is known for shopping and also massage. Since we knew we’d be doing a lot of walking through the malls, we started with a preventative foot massage.😂 Phetchaburi Road is lined with massage parlors that usually have a happy hour special from 9 AM-7 PM. A one-hour foot or back massage is only 200 Baht or 6 USD. Score! 💆
After the massage, we headed to The Platinum Fashion Mall, which has 7 floors of bargain clothing shops.

After a day of shopping and some food court eats, we checked out Beer Republic, which has a casual open-aired dining area and a wide selection of microbrews. 🍺
Day 2:
We started Sunday at Into the Woods Cafe. They have an adorable cabin theme, clever coffee drinks, and Western breakfasts. 🐻

From there we visited the Jim Thompson House Museum.Jim Thompson was an American businessman who introduced the world to Thai silk. After visiting Thailand in the 50s, he took some silk back to NYC, where he sold it to fashion designers and had it featured in The King and I.

This man is well-known across Thailand, but mysteriously disappeared on a hiking trip he took in Malaysia. To this day, they still don’t know what happened to him. Since he didn’t have any children, his sister turned his home into a museum, which is actually three separate houses made of teak wood and beautifully decorated with ancient Buddha images and silk fabrics.
Cost: Tickets are 200 Baht, but include a guided tour of the grounds.
That tour surely worked up an appetite, so from there we visited Pizza Company inside Central World mall. This Italian chain has an excellent selection of traditional and Thai-inspired pizzas.🍕
Cost: 25 USD for two personal pizzas, drinks and a salad
Day 3:
The next morning we awoke at 6 AM and headed to Hua Lamphong Railway Station. To get there, we used Grab, which is similar to Uber, and can be used to get reliable transport at fair prices. While waiting for our train to arrive, we stopped in at 511 Cafe across the road. The place was charming and you could even sign your name on the wall. The shop owner just bought a new puppy too. So cute! 🚂
Side note: Hua Lamphong is a very historic railway station. In the next year, it will be shut down and converted into a museum.
The train ride was also quite expensive at around 420 Baht each, but was an express route in air conditioned cars, and it included lunch. They served mackerel two ways with rice.We arrived at the adorable and historic Hua Hin Railway Station around noon.
From there we got checked into our hotel, the Anantara Hua Hin Resort. 🌴

We received welcome drinks and hot towels on arrival. I chose the garden suite, which had a nice patio and was located close to the pool,
I can’t believe how well my mom’s nails matched the local flowers.
That afternoon we lounged by the pool, taking advantage of their prolonged happy hour specials, and communal board games. 👙
After a few cocktails we walked along the beach, which offered miles of smooth white sand, shells, and sea birds. 🐚
The next morning we took on their spectacular breakfast buffet, which included a noodle bar, omelet bar, fruit bar, salad bar, bakery, hot dishes, and a selection of cold meats and cheeses, which is worth it alone considering the import price of these goods. Yum-o!



Day 4:
On our first day of sightseeing in Hua Hin we took the hotel shuttle to center of town and then a tuk-tuk to the Khao Takeb Temple and viewpoint. 📸

The temple grounds are full of cheeky, hungry monkeys, but it does offer a scenic lookout over the coastline. 🐒
After we checked out Hua Hin Beach, which was OK, but we much preferred the beach north of the city near our hotel. They also had some horses on the beach, which looked a bit skinny and overworked. 😔
Later we stopped in at McDonald’s for a quick bite before checking out some live music at Father Ted’s. 🎵
They had a wonderful Elvis impersonator and the place was packed!
Day 5:
The next morning we took on another spectacular breakfast buffet before heading to Hutsadin Elephant Foundation. 🐘
We paid 500 Baht for a round-trip tax there, plus 300 for the entrance fee to feed and learn about their rescued elephants.
Side note: It costs about 3,000 Baht per day to feed one elephant, so this seems to be a reasonable fee.
They only have five elephants that they care for at the moment, and most of them are geriatric, and used to be in the logging industry.
They all seem quite spoiled and well-cared for now. 💙

We also bought some souvenirs and 100% of the profits go to the foundation.Afterwards we spent the afternoon lounging at our hotel enjoying more of their delicious food and happy hour specials. 🍸

The hotel actually has seven options for dining, plus they offer cooking classes, fruit carving, and yoga. They also had an optional vineyard excursion to Monsoon Valley Winery and a wine-paired dinner at the resort, but my mom is more into beers and burgers, so we decided to do our own thing instead. 🍷


Day 6:
After five days in Hua Hin, we enjoyed our last morning brekkie at Anantara before taking a coach bus back to Bangkok. We used Sombat Tours, which had comfy buses straight to Mo Chit BTS for only 260 Baht each.
After arriving back in Bangkok, we checked out one of my local favorites, Coco Walk. They have a collection of restaurants with live music almost every night of the week. 🎵
Cost: Vietnamese spring rolls, beer and spaghetti for 400 Baht
Day 7:
On our second to last day we headed to Lumphini Park.
Not only does Lumphini have some beautifully landscaped gardens, ponds for paddle boating and lots of monitor lizards, they also have some of the best street food in the city.


After a few hours of walking we decided to grab a quick food court bite at Platinum Shopping Mall before getting another massage.

This time I opted for a Thai massage, which was quite aggressive, but if you don’t want that, you can always tell the masseuse you’d like something a bit more mellow.That evening we treated ourselves to one of the best rooftop bars in Bangkok: Red Sky in the Centrara Grand Hotel.
They have buy-one-get-one on their drinks and snacks from 4-5 PM every day.
After a beer, we grabbed some grub at a chain restaurant called S&P, which I equate to Baker’s Square back in the U.S.
Cost: Ham and bacon carbonara, strawberry smoothie, salad and cashew chicken for 700 Baht
Day 8:
We started our last day in Thailand back where we began in the historic Rattanakosin district of the city by having breakfast at The Coffee Club on the river. ☕

Afterwards we checked out River City, which has many art galleries, exhibits and shops. 🏎️From there we walked to one of my favorite hidden gems: the Bangkokian Museum.
This free museum showcases life in Bangkok back in the 1930s. The collection of antique home decor is very well-kept, the museum charges no admission fee, and we were the only foreigners there. 🏘️
Side note: I met the woman who grew up in the house during my last visit, but upon returning this time, I learned that she had since passed away and had donated the whole property to the Thai government.
After that we stopped by the Hindu Mariamman Temple and perused the streets of the Silom neighborhood.

From there we headed to my next hidden gem: Jack’s Bar. This is a total kitschy dive on the river, which has affordable drinks, a cool breeze, and is always packed with locals. 🍺After a few hours and a few cold ones, we got ready for our last meal together at The Bangkok Heritage Restaurant.

It was a lovely week together full of shopping, relaxation, and indulgence. I hope this post inspired you to book a mother-daughter trip of your own to Bangkok or wherever else you’d like to go in the world. These moments together are priceless, and must be cherished like gold. 💗
That’s all for now folks! Take care and until next time, enjoy this short video I made of our trip. 😊
8 days! 👌
LikeLike
This is a well crafted article detailing the places to visit while in Thailand. Great post Madam.. 😊 Shall refer to your post when I plan my trip to Thailand.. 😊
I had a question though. Didn’t you face any quarantine measures by the authorities, given that Coronavirus is reported to be spreading in South East Asia?
LikeLiked by 1 person
At the moment, there aren’t any quarantine measures for traveling within Thailand. There also weren’t quarantine measures for when my mom returned to the States. There were lots of hand sanitizing stations, temp check stations and masks available for the public though.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I see.. Good to know that.. 😊
Stay safe.. Thank you Madam for your reply.. 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
You definitely are cool, and have a cool mom. Love to both of you.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks for the kind words and for checking out the post! Take care and safe travels! xx
LikeLike
Sounds like you had a fantastic time exploring Bangkok with your mum and managed to see quite a lot. It’s such a beautiful city to explore and I just can’t get over how beautiful their temples are! Thanks for sharing and have a good day 😀 Aiva
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks for checking out the post! Bangkok still hasn’t ceased to amaze me with its mix of modern conveniences and stunning traditions. Take care and safe travels! Xx
LikeLike
Glad you got this special time with your Mom. Thailand is always so interesting and exotic. It has been a long time since I was there. Thanks for sharing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for checking out the post! I’m so happy she made the trip. Take care! Xx
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow, wonderful and inspiring trip for me !!! Thinking to take my mom to some place too 😄😄😄
LikeLiked by 1 person
Aww, that would be wonderful! Safe travels! Xx
LikeLiked by 1 person
You go girl! I am enjoying your posts especially Mexico. Had I known who I was going to be, I would have chosen your life🦋But I am catching up…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good to see a good family trip! Hope you are also aware of coronavirus and take care. How is it now in Thailand, honestly?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Life is relatively normal in Thailand aside from the fact that hand sanitizer is now available everywhere, most people wear masks for prevention, and you have your temperature checked every place you go.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for that. I miss Bangkok actually been there 3x. Hope the cv will be over soon or at least find a cure which they say are now into it and waiting for approval… wish!
LikeLiked by 1 person
What an adventure! I love it! When I was teaching English at the American School of Marrakesh in Morocco, my grown son and daughter visited me. Sharing expat lives with family is the best!
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s so wonderful! I have only been there for travel, but I can imagine living I. Marrakech was quite the cultural experience. Thanks for sharing! Take care during this time. Xx
LikeLike
Wow! I enjoyed your photos and I like the way you made a blog about your travel with your mum. You seem to enjoy Thailand very much with each other’s company. 🙂 I suddenly miss my Mum. 🙂 Kris and I travel every now and then but I haven’t printed our photos yet and it just stayed in the memory card. Thanks for inspiring me to do this 🙂 Thanks for following our blog too. Cheers to more adventures to come! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for your sweet comment. Yes, I’m so glad she flew all the way over to visit me. I really cherish these moments, especially with the state of travel at the moment. Thanks for checking out the post. Take care and stay safe! Xx
LikeLiked by 1 person
Looks and sounds like you had a wonderful time together. I’m glad you were able to experience parts of Bangkok through new eyes, it’s always great playing host for someone who doesn’t know the place well 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, I appreciate that she flew all the way to this side of the world to visit. I am especially thankful this trip happened before everything went into lockdown. Thanks for checking out the post! Take care and stay safe! Xx
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re so lucky you were able to do this before the whole world went into lockdown. Your mom looks so happy. I got to do a similar mother-son trip when I lived in Shanghai, but that was before blogging and digital photos. So you’re lucky on both counts.
LikeLike
Thanks for checking out the post! I´m so grateful she came when she did. She´s definitely a ray of positivity and makes any adventure fun. Take care and stay safe! xx
LikeLike
Another great post Megan and you Mother looks like she was having an absolute ball. Was it her first time to Thailand? Sadly I never had a chance to travel with my parents although I did get to show my late Mother round London when she visited once which was a great thrill.
I loved your video at the end, it brought back so many fond memories of the sights and the sounds, especially the late night cicada chorus. I’ll swear I could almost smell the food, do you use “Smell-o-vision” for your posts? 😊
Since out latest bout of “house arrest” here in UK, I have been reading a lot of blogs as there iis not much else to do really and I am particularly enjoying yours. Keep up the good work.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, I was so grateful she chose to visit in February, seeing as it was right before the lockdown. I think Americans have a misconception of how safe and secure Southeast Asia can be and she definitely felt more comfortable with me living here after visiting. She fell in love with how friendly the people were and she can’t wait to come back. Thanks for reading the post! Glad you’re finding a way to pass the time in lockdown! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
You are certainly lucky you planned it for when you did. I am glad it has reassured your Mother about what SE Asia is really like. I have me have met so many people both out there and from hanging out with travellers elsewhere and just about everybody loves Thailand particularly and the very small minority who don’t probably wouldn’t be happy anywhere!
I am indeed finding a way to survive this madness, lest I go completely hatstand. Gorging myself on blogs and BBC documentaries seems to be taking up most of my time these days and there is always my guilty pleasure of online solitaire which I can, and do, play for hours on end.
I cannot wait to see what you get up to next.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very nice and cool one. Both of you Mother & Daughter are just awesome. You executed your Tripi. A very good manner.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks so much for the feedback! Yes, I was so lucky to have her visit before the pandemic began. Such wonderful memories!
LikeLike