3 Days in Bangkok

Where to stay: Riverside (scenic, close to the boats and the old city), Silom/Sathorn (central, on BTS and MRT, great food and rooftop bars), Sukhumvit from Asok to Thong Lo (easy BTS access, livelier nightlife) or Siam (most central for shopping and transit). Save your hotel's address in Thai — it makes taxi rides much easier.

Grand Palace dress code: shoulders and knees must be covered — wear long trousers or a long skirt and a shirt with sleeves. If someone outside says the palace is “closed today” and offers a tuk-tuk tour, politely walk on: it's a long-running scam.

Wat Pho is also a centre of traditional Thai massage — its massage school offers treatments if your feet need a break. From Tha Tien pier, take the short cross-river ferry to Wat Arun.

Graze from stall to stall rather than sitting down for one big meal. MRT Wat Mangkon station puts you right in the middle of Chinatown.

Chatuchak runs Saturday and Sunday: go early and pick a few sections. It's next to MRT Kamphaeng Phet and a short walk from BTS Mo Chit. On a weekday, swap it for Lumphini Park in the morning — joggers, tai chi groups and monitor lizards.

Jim Thompson House is visited on a guided tour and is walking distance from BTS National Stadium. The Siam malls are connected by skywalks; their food courts make an easy, affordable lunch or snack stop.

Many rooftop bars don't allow flip-flops or shorts — check the dress code before you go. For something casual, try a night market such as Jodd Fairs.

Day trip to Ayutthaya (about 80 km north): the Siamese capital for roughly four centuries until 1767, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Go by train, minivan or a guided tour, then rent a bicycle or hire a tuk-tuk between sites. Check the current departure station and timetable before you go.

At Wat Mahathat, crouch or kneel for photos so you're not higher than the Buddha head.

Alternatives for Day 3 — Option B: a half-day tour combining the Maeklong Railway Market and Damnoen Saduak Floating Market (touristy but memorable; go early). Option C: stay in the city with a longtail boat tour of the Thonburi canals, the old shophouses of Talat Noi, then ICONSIAM by the river.