Bangkok Off the Beaten Path: Hidden Places and Insider Tips

Metropolis Bangkok. If you travel to Thailand, you will almost certainly end up in Bangkok. Do you feel like you’ve already seen all the sights and experienced all the highlights? Then read on. We have been to Bangkok countless times and reveal in this article our personal insider tips and our favourite hidden places in Bangkok.

1. Insider Tip for the Best Pad Thai in Bangkok: Nunu Pad Thai

For a long time, Thip Samai (now very famous) was our number one point of reference for the best Pad Thai in Bangkok. Nowadays, the line of people coming out of the shop has just become too long for us. Sometimes you have to wait an hour before finally getting a seat. No biggie… we found a Pad Thai that tastes MUCH better.

Nunu is the name of the man who has on multiple occasions, prepared (hands-down) the best Pad Thai we have ever tasted. A few months ago we visited Nunu Pad Thai (also known as “Pad Thai Narok Saek”), because it was cooked exclusively on the street. He now has his own little eatery on Latya Road in the Wongwian Yai district.

To find Nunu is a bit tricky, because the customers are almost exclusively locals. A good tip: look out for the cowboy hat. Nunu always cooks with a hat. In order to help you find Nunu Pad Thai easier, we have shown you the location in the map at the end of the article.

Not only is the Pad Thai the absolute best in Bangkok, it is also quite cheap: A Pad Thai is between 70 and 120 Baht. Conclusion: Highly recommend and is out of this world, in comparison to any other Pad Thai in Bangkok.

More about Nunu Pad Thai (= Pad Thai Narok Saek)

Prices: about 70 to 120 baht for a Pad Thai
Opening hours: every day except Monday from 4pm to 10pm

How do I get to Nunu Pad Thai?

The nearest BTS station is “Wongwian Yai”. Take exit number 3 and then use the lift to get down. Then turn into Soi Krungthonburi 1. This will take you to Latya Road. There you turn right (without crossing the Latya Road itself). Now it is about 200 meters to Nunu Pad Thai. You will find him after the bank (Siam Commercial Bank). Nunu cooks in the street wearing a cowboy hat.

Address: 286 Latya Road, Bangkok Thailand

2. Insider Tip for Vegetarian Thai Food: Ruyi Vegetarian Restaurant

Eating vegetarian food in Thailand has become increasingly easier, but traditional vegetarian or vegan cuisine is unfortunately still a rarity. After a lot of research, we came across a hidden gem on our last trip: The vegetarian restaurant Ruyi.

It’s exactly what you’d imagine a traditional Thai restaurant to be: simple ambience & cheap, delicious food. With the main difference that the entire menu exclusively includes vegetarian dishes. (Don’t get confused: “Chicken”, “Fish” & Co. are all substitute products made from tofu.)

If you’re looking for a typical Thai snack but don’t want to eat meat, this is the place for you. The restaurant is clearly our number one insider tip for vegetarian Thai food.

More about “Ruyi Vegetarian Restaurant” (= “Suki Jeh Ru Yi”)

Prices: Main courses around 50 to 100 baht
Opening hours: daily from 10am to 9pm

3. Hidden Rooftop Bar in Bangkok: The Speakeasy

Bangkok is for us the city of rooftop bars. The Skybars here are like sand on the sea. Our favourites are presented in our article Rooftops Bars in Bangkok. The bar that won best overall is definitely not the famous “Hangover Bar” (Skybar on the roof of the Lebua Hotel), but the much lesser known bar called “The Speakeasy”. The view is not quite as spectacular, but the atmosphere is great and the prices really affordable. We can wholeheartedly recommend!

How do I get to the Speakeasy Rooftop Bar?

The nearest BTS station (Chit Lom) is about a 10-minute walk away.

Address: 55/555 Langsuan Road, Lumpini, 10330, Bangkok, Thailand

4. The Best Hipster Breakfast in Bangkok: Luka

Thailand is not necessarily known for its western breakfast hotspot. However, we went on a mission in search of somewhere viable in Bangkok and found an insider tip. The Luka Bangkok serves delicious breakfasts, from Açai Bowl to Shakshuka. We were really in the 7th heaven! In addition the coffee is delicious – a dream for breakfast fans, like us.

Incidentally, inside Luka is also an interior shop that had our attention from the first second! We would have liked to have taken back a few of those souvenirs with us! So if you need a break from the hotel breakfast or the unimaginative banana pancakes in Bangkok, visit the Luka – you will not regret it!

More information about Café Luka in Bangkok

Price: Not very cheap: we paid a total of around 1.000 baht for 2 breakfast dishes and 2 cappuccinos.
Opening hours: Monday to Sunday from 9am to 6pm

How do I get to Café Luka?

The nearest BTS station is Surasak. From there, head east on Sathorn Road and turn left into Pan Road. After about two minutes you will reach the left to Café Luka.

Address: 64/3 Pan Road, Khwaeng Silom, Bangkok, Thailand (there are more locations in Bangkok)

5. Wang Lang Market: A Market for Locals

The Wang Lang Market is just how we imagined an authentic market in Bangkok to be: chaotic, twisty and pleasantly unexciting. Don’t get us wrong: you can really immerse yourself in the daily life of the locals here and that’s what we love about the Wang Lang Market. That’s also the reason why it’s a real insider tip for us in Bangkok.

Above all, you’ll find lots of kitchen stands and food stalls at Wang Lang Market, as well as the typical Thai food. Meanwhile, tourists get lost here, but on the whole, the Wang Lang Market is very authentic and is mainly visited by locals.

For more information about Wang Lang Market

Opening hours: daily from 10am to 4pm

How do I get to Wang Lang Market?

To reach Wang Lang Market, it is best to take a Chao Phraya Express boat to Station No. 10 (“Wang Lang”). All boats stop here, except the blue tourist boat. From the pier you only have to go a little bit to the west and you’re in the middle of the market.

6. Chatuchak Night Market: The Alternative to the Weekend Market

All Bangkok travellers talk about the Chatuchak Weekend Market, but few know that Bangkok’s largest market has been opening its doors on Friday night. So, when all the young Thai locals frolic here and the sun is not burning from the sky, this is the best time to visit.

More about Chatuchak Friday Market

Hours: Friday around 6pm until after midnight, peak time is around 10pm
Attention: On Fridays only the shops along the main streets are open so that there are comparatively fewer shops than at the actual Chatuchak weekend market. The atmosphere is thus much more comfortable.

How do I get to Chatuchak Friday Market?

Take the skytrain (BTS) to the station “Mo Chit”. There, take Exit # 1 (Exit 1) and just follow the crowds.

Address: Kampaengphet 3 Road, Khet Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand

7. Hidden Place to Stay in Bangkok: The Companion Hostel

Whilst looking for a nice but cheap double room, we came across the Companion Hostel in Bangkok and have been there twice already, because we find it so comfortable and inviting. The owners, a young Thai couple, are so incredibly gracious and helpful – something we don’t come across often.

The rooms are huge and its style is very pure and very modern. It feels like home from the first moment. So far we have only stayed in the double rooms, but the dorm beds are also very large and the showers & toilets really clean.

The only downside, which you can honestly ignore, is that in the building next door there is a kind of leather factory, which runs during the day and you can hear the noise from the hostel – it sounds a bit like construction work. This was a disadvantage we were happy to overlook because on all other levels, this hostel really has everything! By the way: all the people whom we’ve recommended this hostel so far have also been thrilled with it. 

If possible, book a double room upstairs. The one on the ground floor is bigger, but a bit noisy.

Here you can book the hostel: The Companion Hostel

8. More tips for Bangkok

Our blog articles and travel guides from Bangkok:

• Bangkok Travel Guide
• Where to stay in Bangkok
• Rooftop Bars in Bangkok

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This blog article contains our personal recommendations with so-called affiliate links. If you book or buy something through these links, we will give you a small commission. Don’t worry, this won’t change the price for you and this way you can easily support our work. Cool thing, right? A million thanks from the both of us!

What are your insider tips for Bangkok? Which hidden places can you recommend? We look forward to your comments and experiences!