The Most Unusual Experiences In Bangkok

Visitors who cannot handle one more selfie stick or tourist-infested attraction may be less than impressed with Bangkok, one of the most visited cities in the world. However, as full of visitors as it is, there are a handful of experiences that mainstream tourists have yet to find. Unique, unusual, undiscovered: Bangkok’s got it covered.

1. Visit the Death Museum

Museum

The Siriraj Medical Museum, appropriately dubbed the Death Museum, is not a place for the fainthearted. It is actually made up of six different museums, many of which are full of gory, grotesque displays. Deformed children, body parts of both humans and animals, graphic photographs taken postmortem: the list of eerie exhibits goes on. Much of the information is in Thai, but visitors keen for goosebumps and a truly unusual day should check out this museum. There’s a ฿200 (US$5.80) entrance fee to see all six museums.

Drink Coffee with Animals

Coffee, crepes, cats: you never know what you are going to find at one of the many pet cafes around Bangkok. Crazy cat people should beeline for Caturday Cat Café, equipped with enough fluffy felines to keep even the most avid of kitty-loving coffee drinkers happy. Those looking for something with a bit more fur may instead opt for True Love Café, a husky café located off the BTS Skytrain station Ari. There are plenty of these cafes found around the capital, great for those pet-loving travelers who are missing their furry friends back home.

Caturday Cat Cafe, 10400, 115 Phayathai Rd, Thanon Phetchaburi, Ratchathewi, Bangkok, Thailand, +66 2 656 5247

True Love Cafe, 153 Soi Ari Samphan 2, Samsen Nai, Phaya Thai, Bangkok, Thailand, +66 85 908 2777

2. Eat at a Condom-Themed Restaurant

Restaurant, Thai, Asian, Vegetarian

Safe sex is great sex, and there is no better way to appreciate rubbers than at a restaurant dedicated to this contraceptive. Cabbages & Condoms, as the name implies, is one of the most unique restaurants in Bangkok. The idea behind the restaurant is to promote a better understanding and acceptance of family planning. The interior is decked out in colorful contraceptives, with everything from lighting fixtures to foliage covered in condoms. In addition to its cool theme, the food at Cabbages & Condoms is so delicious that diners forget they are dining in a sea of rubbers. Grab a bite, a condom, and more at this unique restaurant in the heart of downtown Bangkok.

See a Ladyboy Cabaret

Bangkok is a gay-friendly hub in Southeast Asia, and has plenty of LGBT-friendly venues, two of the most noteworthy being Playhouse Theater Cabaret and Calypso Cabaret. Each evening, these venues host bold and unapologetic transgender shows, with epic performances consisting of Bollywood, Broadway, and even Beyoncé lookalikes. Tickets to see one of the transgender shows at Playhouse Theater Cabaret are ฿1,200 (US$35), and shows are at 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Calypso Cabaret’s shows are put on daily at 8:15 p.m. and 9:45 p.m.

Calypso Cabaret Bangkok, 2194 Charoenkrung 72-76 Rd., Wat Prayakrai, Bangkorlaem, Bangkok, Thailand, +66 2 688 1415-7

Playhouse Theater Cabaret, Suan Lum Night Bazaar Ratchadaphisek, 5 Ratchadaphisek Road, Chom Phon, Chatuchak, Bangkok, Thailand, +66 02 0245522