Bangkok Day 3 Itinerary: Grand Palace, Thai Dress & River Cruise

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Hello, fellow adventurers! I'm Dori, a multi-passionate creator with an endless bucket list. 🏠✨ Our third day in Bangkok was an absolute whirlwind, a non-stop "triple threat" adventure from dawn till dusk. We kicked off with a Grand Palace tour, transformed into Thai royalty (well, almost!), and ended the night belting out tunes on a Chao Phraya River dinner cruise. Get ready for all the exciting details!

🛕 1. MyRealTrip's 'Grand Palace, Emerald Buddha Temple & Wat Arun' Half-Day Tour

The tour we booked was this one:

Bangkok Grand Palace & Emerald Buddha Temple Joint Tour (Korean-speaking guide)3ha.in

You can't visit Bangkok without checking off the Grand Palace, right? Given the city's notorious heat, I wasn't keen on navigating it alone, so I booked a Monkey Travel half-day Grand Palace tour available on MyRealTrip. The listing mentioned it was for Korean speakers, making me think a Korean guide would lead us. To my surprise, a wonderfully charming Thai guide appeared! 😆

"Sis, your Korean pronunciation sounds like you picked it up casually... but why does it get more fluent the more I listen? LOL"

Her Korean wasn't perfectly native, but there was a captivating fluency that drew us in! Throughout the tour, my friend B and I were completely charmed by our guide, diligently following her every step.

Our guide's greatest strength? She truly poured her heart and soul into taking our photos! While we could manage landscape shots ourselves, when it came to portraits, she transformed into a professional studio director. Her knack for composition, angles, lighting, and posing helped us capture some truly amazing shots.

She also made Thai royal history and fascinating political stories incredibly engaging and easy to understand. (My brain might have cleared some space since then, but at the time, it was incredibly informative and fascinating! Ahem.)

🛍️ 2. ICONSIAM (Always a Good Idea!) & The Legendary 'Mountain of Pork Ribs'

After the tour, we hopped on a shuttle boat along the Chao Phraya River. Since it allowed us to disembark at any stop, I asked our guide, "Where should we go next? It's an awkward time..." and she decisively said, "Let's just go to ICONSIAM!" LOL

Even though we'd been there the day before, we coolly went again! And you know what? It was just as great the second time!

This time, we decided to properly explore the underground food court, SookSiam. Our first stop was the famous 'mountain of pork ribs,' Leng Saap! Known for its spicy, sour, and savory clear broth, Leng Saap is a must-try dish in Bangkok.

Washing it down with a refreshing beer felt like a much-needed IV drip, instantly melting away the fatigue from our Grand Palace explorations. The live music further enhanced the vibrant atmosphere, getting us thoroughly into the Bangkok groove.

👑 3. An Impromptu Thai Traditional Costume Experience (The Birth of a Royal Toad?)

While we were admiring people doing traditional costume photoshoots at the Grand Palace, we discovered a studio right inside ICONSIAM, making it super easy to try it ourselves!

As we walked past a corner of the food court, we spotted a studio where people were taking pictures in traditional Thai costumes. Initially, seeing all the elegant ladies, I just planned to watch.

But then I discreetly checked the prices... and wow, it was surprisingly affordable! I thought, "Come on, we're on vacation! When else will we get to try something like this? Let's go for it!!"

So, we were swept inside, received simple makeup and hair styling, and donned vibrant traditional Thai outfits. The results? They gave us all the original files and even printed a huge photo... but the "me" in the pictures looked more like a regal, plump toad queen who had perhaps birthed six princes! LOL

Still, what an experience! My friend B and I were in stitches, creating an unforgettable memory.

🚢 4. Shouting "Cheers!" on the Chao Phraya Princess Dinner Cruise

Here's the link to the Princess Dinner Cruise we booked!

[*Confirmed Seating*] Royal Princess Dinner Cruise3ha.in

Wow, our schedule that day was really packed! In the evening, we headed to Asiatique for the highlight: a dinner cruise. After diligently researching on Bangkok travel forums, I trusted the definitive advice: "All dinner cruises are pretty similar, so just pick the cheapest one." That's how we ended up booking the [Chao Phraya Princess Cruise]. For someone indecisive like me, that advice was pure gold!

Shedding our worn-out clothes from a day of exploring palaces and playing 'royal,' we changed into matching Thai-patterned dresses we'd scored from Chatuchak Market (Miss Chatuchak) the day before.

After exploring the bustling Asiatique and MiniSo, it was finally time to board the cruise! And let me tell you, this cruise was absolutely fantastic.

The highlight was undoubtedly our Filipino-heritage (?) singer who led the entertainment. She hyped up the crowd by singing global hits, pouring her heart and soul into each performance, clearly aiming for those tips! The atmosphere was so infectious that passengers started dancing in the aisles.

There were only two or three Korean tables, including ours, and everyone was initially quite reserved. My friend B and I were quietly observing the fun from the aisle. But then, out of nowhere, the singer started the intro to Park Gun's 'Cheers!' (Han Jan Hae)! LOL

"Cheers, cheers, cheers! Let's party 'til the end, cheers!" 🎵

Hearing 'Cheers!' in a foreign land sent our excitement soaring, but we didn't have any cash for tips and lacked the courage to rush out and dance. So, we furiously snapped our fingers and danced internally from our seats.

When B started filming, the singer noticed the camera and, with her powerful voice, yelled "Saranghae!!!" (I love you!!!) right into the camera, making us burst out laughing. Despite the lively chaos, it was an incredibly charming cruise, definitely worth experiencing if you're in Bangkok!

The value for money was quite high, making it a recommended option even for first-time visitors to Bangkok.

🎬 Bangkok Day 3 Itinerary: A Recap

Grand Palace Half-Day Tour → ICONSIAM → Thai Traditional Costume Experience → Princess Dinner Cruise.

While it was a packed day, this itinerary offers incredible value and is highly recommended for first-time visitors to Bangkok.

On the dinner cruise, I thought, "My parents would absolutely adore this!" only to find out my mom had already experienced it! (Always one step ahead, Mom, gotta respect that!) My friend B even vowed to bring her mother back to enjoy the dinner cruise someday. What a fulfilling and action-packed third day in Bangkok! Stay tuned for Part 6 of our travel adventures! See you soon! (Or rather, Sawasdee Krab! 🙏)

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