Bangkok High Season Guide for Weather Celebrations Prices and Shopping
I wish you could feel the weather in Bangkok today. The leaves, trees, and flags are moving in a cool breeze, and it feels as though we are officially in the winter season. If you are coming to Thailand, you are definitely going to enjoy this beautiful weather, especially Bangkok, where we always complain about the heat. Nowadays, it is amazing.
Today is Sunday, and I am spending some time walking around Bangkok. Walking in the afternoon is one of the best things you can enjoy at this time of year. Along the way, you can see Christmas trees and New Year decorations. Every year, I am amazed by how beautiful the decorations are in front of CentralWorld.
CentralWorld New Year’s Eve Countdown Advice
CentralWorld is one of the best places to celebrate New Year’s Eve, enjoy the countdown, and watch the fireworks. If you are coming to Bangkok to celebrate in front of CentralWorld, you should be there very early, starting from 5:00 p.m. Once it becomes crowded, you cannot walk or even breathe.
I was there twice, and I know that this is a place where you can enjoy the countdown, but you need to secure your place if you want a good view. The area becomes extremely busy, so arriving early is important.
Bangkok High Season Crowds and Family Attractions
Everything is back on track in Bangkok, and it is officially high season. It is super crowded, and you can barely walk in some areas. Along the way, there are lots of festive displays, character decorations, and beautiful spots to take pictures, especially for children and families coming to Thailand.
Families who enjoy Disney characters do not have to go to Disneyland to see this kind of festive atmosphere. They can come to Bangkok and enjoy the decorations around CentralWorld. There is also a Bangkok street food section, and even that was packed. The best time to go out these days in Bangkok, walk around, and check the sights is in the afternoon, almost around 4 or 5 before sunset.
Bangkok High Season Hotel and Flight Prices
If you are coming to spend your vacation in Thailand during Christmas and New Year, the weather is amazing and the vibes are good, but the prices are not cheap. Last year, I was in Pattaya, and this year I was trying to go somewhere new. When I checked the hotels and flights, the prices were insane.
A hotel that cost 2,000 or 3,000 Thai Baht a week earlier could cost more than 20,000 to 30,000 Thai Baht on New Year’s Eve. If you are coming in the high season and want to spend Christmas or New Year’s Eve somewhere special, it is better to book early.
Bangkok Shopping at MBK and Seasonal Promotions
In the festive season, prices go up, but in Bangkok you can always find promotions. I went into MBK and looked for plain black T-shirts. I found them for only 199 Thai Baht, and the prices were fixed, so there was no need to bargain.
Bangkok is lively during the Christmas and New Year period, with decorations, events, street food, shopping, and busy public spaces. The weather can be excellent, but the high-season prices mean that planning and booking early can make a big difference.
Bangkok Crowds and the Fear of Missing Out
It was super, super crowded. FOMO means the fear of missing out. In Bangkok, there are always things happening day and night on the streets, in the markets, in front of the malls and even in the parks. If you don’t go out, you miss all these things, and that’s the fear of missing out.
Yesterday I was at Lumpini Park, and it was the last night of the Red Cross event. It was amazing and super crowded, with lots of people. Lumpini Park is so big, and everywhere there were shopping options and food options. You could barely walk, talk or film. It was so crowded that you couldn’t even leave the park. It took me around one hour to get out of Lumpini Park.
Shopping for T Shirts at EmSphere
If you are coming to Thailand, especially Bangkok, to spend the New Year, this is just one example of what it can be like, but it is worth it. It was really nice, so if you are coming to Bangkok next year, definitely put it in your schedule.
We were inside EmSphere. I like to buy some T-shirts and polos. As I said, tomorrow I’m traveling, and I hadn’t packed my bag yet, so we could buy some things. In this mall, you can find really good-quality things, and nowadays everything is on promotion. At the end of the year, there are good prices even in the luxury malls. Although EmSphere is not that luxury mall, you can find very affordable items.
These T-shirts were very good quality. Life Work is a Korean brand. I was checking the black one. They had T-shirts and polos. “All black. Oh, we don’t have like that.” “Yeah.” “Black, white.” “Yeah. I mean, there’s only the small logo.” “No.” “Right. Thank you.” I couldn’t find everything I was looking for at EmSphere. It’s okay. Maybe we can find it in another mall. We still had a lot of time.
Bangkok MRT Rush Hour
I was recently in Kanchanaburi, and it was amazing. We stayed one night on the River Kwai. The experience was amazing, and the weather was fantastic. The hotel was called For Rest Hotel.
Don’t panic because it was rush hour. If you go out in Bangkok between 5 p.m. and late, this is the situation. You can barely walk. Fortunately, we had our MRT card, so there was no need to wait to buy a token. “I mean, you can charge it like this, right?” “Mhm.” “One here. Keep box one here.” “Okay. One here. I will keep it.”
CentralWorld Festive Shopping Queues
Now we were back at CentralWorld. We were jumping from one mall into another, and all the malls were very crowded. Surely everyone was buying gifts. Festive-season shopping is one of the best things you can do these days in Bangkok.
The Thai Baht is crazy these days. I think soon we will be below 31. Now it’s around 31.20, and hopefully it will be better soon.
Nice color. How much? 590. I believe it was 790, I think. So you can barely walk these days wherever you go, even inside the malls. The queue for payment was huge. With the QR code, you can pay by yourself. Where is the scan? 519. Next. Confirm. Now I will use my bank QR code. Okay, perfect. Oh, nice. Wow, that was cool. That was really cool. If you can pay by credit card or scan a QR code, you don’t have to wait in that horrible festive-season queue. You just have to take your things there, scan them and pay.
We were finally out of CentralWorld before spending all the money we had. In front of CentralWorld there are events every day. Just in case you are in Bangkok, don’t miss visiting this place. Even if you don’t like shopping, there are lots of free entertainments and street food.
Leaving Bangkok for Southern Thailand
Now I’m super hungry. I’m not into Thai food today, so I decided to eat something else.
That was a really big portion. We had some Lebanese food, and it was so delicious. Now it was time to go back home to pack. As I said, tomorrow I’m leaving for southern Thailand.
Bangkok’s High Season Begins with Halloween
As the season changes in Bangkok, going out has become much more pleasant. This was my last week in Bangkok before heading to Phuket, then Krabi and Pattaya, and the beginning of high season was already bringing changes in the prices and atmosphere.
Halloween is one of the first notable events of the season. An event had already begun in front of EmSphere, although the main celebration was scheduled for the end of the month. People were already wearing costumes, and Bangkok’s green parks were looking especially lively and well maintained.
Khao San Road Halloween and Affordable Accommodation
Last year, I celebrated Halloween on Khao San Road, and it was a very lively night. Anyone coming to Bangkok who wants a Halloween party should consider Khao San Road because the celebrations continue late into the night.
If you want to stay nearby after the party, there are cheap hotels. I stayed in one last year for only 500 Thai Baht per night, which made it easier to stay close by rather than travel home late.
Fortune Town Electronics Mall at Rama 9
For electronics, Fortune Town is one of the best places in Bangkok. From MRT Rama 9, Exit One gives direct access to the mall, which has almost everything an electronics shopper might need. There is even a dinosaur park in front of the mall.
I went there to buy a hard drive and some stationery, and I also looked at cameras and lenses. It is possible to walk directly from the station into the mall, making it convenient to shop without spending much time outside in the heat or rain.
Book Thailand Flights and Hotels Before November
During high season, flights and hotels become more expensive. I planned my trips to Phuket, Pattaya and Krabi early so I could find better prices. If you are planning to visit many places, booking your hotels and flights early is important.
Last year, I celebrated New Year in Pattaya, where hotel prices reached around 20,000 to 30,000 Thai Baht for that night. The hotels I usually book cost around 1,000 to 3,000 Thai Baht at most, so it is better to reserve before November, when rooms can become extremely expensive or unavailable.
Bangkok Coffee Events and Rainy Season Weather
There was also a coffee exhibition inside CentralWorld. I love coffee and have everything I need to make it in my own kitchen, but events like this always have new accessories and different types of coffee to try. Visitors can taste the options and decide which ones they like.
Bangkok’s weather can still change quickly during the transition into high season. The day began with beautiful weather, but light rain arrived later. That is worth remembering when planning trips around Thailand, even as the city becomes busier and the main events of the season approach.
