Bangkok

When is the best time to film in Bangkok?

November to February is the best time to film in Bangkok: the air is drier, mornings are cooler and the sky is clearer for skyline work. The city is workable all year, though. March to May is the hottest stretch, when midday shooting outdoors is hard on you and your kit. The rainy season runs from roughly June to October; storms tend to arrive in the afternoon or evening, are heavy and often short, and wet streets under neon make strong night footage.

Songkran, the Thai New Year in mid-April, turns parts of the city into a days-long water fight. It films well, but anything that is not waterproof will get wet, and many businesses close or keep shorter hours.

Which shots work best in Bangkok?

The shots that work best in Bangkok put the old city's temples next to the river and the modern skyline, usually in the first and last hours of light. Places creators build days around:

• Wat Arun from the Tha Tien side of the river at sunset, when the spires darken against the sky
• Wat Pho and its reclining Buddha early in the morning, before tour groups arrive
• The Grand Palace, where queues build quickly, so arrive at opening; it can close for royal ceremonies, which we check before the day
• Yaowarat (Chinatown) after dark, with neon signs and stalls along the main road and the side lanes
• Talat Noi, the riverside neighbourhood next to Chinatown, for old shophouses, workshops and street art
• Pak Khlong Talat, the flower market, at its busiest late at night and before dawn
• Chatuchak Weekend Market for colour and crowd scenes on Saturdays and Sundays
• Rooftop bars and sky decks over Sathorn and Silom at blue hour

What does a hosted day in Bangkok look like?

A hosted day in Bangkok is usually built around one district, so you spend your time filming rather than sitting in traffic. A typical shape:

1. An early start at a temple or market, while the light is soft and the crowds are thin
2. Late morning on the river: a boat between piers, or a canal ride on the Thonburi side
3. A long midday break at the hotel to back up footage and avoid the worst of the heat
4. Late afternoon in a riverside neighbourhood, ending at a sunset viewpoint
5. Street food or the skyline after dark, if it is part of the agreed plan

The agreed activities and transfers are listed in your itinerary; meals and drinks outside the plan are personal extras. The programme page lists what Explera provides and what it never provides.

Getting around Bangkok

Getting around Bangkok is quickest by rail and river, not by road. Your airport transfer and transfers to agreed activities are in a private licensed vehicle, but for short hops the BTS Skytrain, the MRT and the Chao Phraya Express boats often beat a car stuck in traffic, and they make good footage in their own right. Rush hours are slow on every main road, and heavy rain makes them slower. Bangkok has two airports, Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang, so check which one your flight uses; flights are always booked and paid for by you.

Etiquette and filming rules in Bangkok

• Temples and the Grand Palace require covered shoulders and knees, and the Grand Palace checks at the gate. Bring a light layer even in the heat; shoes come off inside temple buildings.
• Photography is restricted in some temple interiors; follow the signs and staff instructions.
• Tripods and gimbals may be restricted at busy sites. Ask before setting up, and keep walkways clear.
• Drones are generally not allowed over palaces, temples or central Bangkok without permissions, so do not plan on aerial shots here. Any flying in Thailand comes with registration requirements; check the current rules before you pack a drone.
• Ask street-food vendors before filming them up close, and buy what you film. Some stalls close on Mondays, so check before planning a food shoot.
• The national anthem is played in public at 08:00 and 18:00, in parks and some stations. People stop and stand still; do the same, and pause filming strangers while it plays.

How Bangkok fits a multi-stop trip

Bangkok fits almost any multi-stop trip in Thailand, because most international flights arrive here. Two or three days in the city pair well with Pattaya, a road transfer away, for beaches and nightlife without a domestic flight; with Chiang Mai for temples, crafts and mountains in the north; or with Phuket, Krabi or Koh Samui for island days, depending on the season. Domestic flights between bases are your cost.

Food creators will find more on the food page. When you know your dates, apply well ahead of them, so the itinerary can be planned around opening times and light.