By James Morrow
Why This Site Exists
I never planned to make a website about Bangkok.
It started with a simple question that friends kept asking. Colleagues visiting for work. Family planning their first trip. Even other expats who had been here longer than me. The question was always some version of the same thing: Where do you actually go?
Not the places everyone already knows. Not the Instagram spots with two-hour queues. Not the rooftop bars designed for tourists who want to say they saw Bangkok from above. They wanted something real. Somewhere calm. A place that felt like a small discovery rather than a checklist item.
So I started keeping notes. Then those notes became lists. And eventually, those lists became Bangkok Hidden Gems.
How I Fell in Love with Bangkok
Bangkok is not an easy city to understand. It can feel chaotic, overwhelming, and impenetrable. The heat. The traffic. The sheer scale of everything. Most visitors experience a narrow slice and leave thinking they have seen it.
But Bangkok rewards patience. Behind the main roads, past the malls and the tourist zones, there are quiet sois with family-run noodle shops that have been serving the same recipe for forty years. There are temple courtyards where the city noise disappears entirely. There are rooftop gardens hidden above ordinary-looking shophouses. There are bars where the entrance is unmarked because the owners prefer it that way.
I found these places slowly. Some through wandering. Some through locals who trusted me enough to share their spots. Some through friends who had lived here for decades and knew which alley to turn down.
The more I discovered, the more I wanted to share.
What Makes a Hidden Gem
Not every quiet place is a gem. Not every local spot is worth recommending. I have certain criteria, even if I do not always articulate them formally.
A hidden gem feels personal. It has atmosphere. There is a sense that someone cared about creating something specific, not something generic. It could be a café where the owner spent years sourcing beans from northern Thailand. It could be a wellness place that feels like stepping into someone’s home. It could be a market that still serves its neighborhood rather than catering to visitors.
Hidden gems are not always hidden in the literal sense. Some are well-known to locals but overlooked by visitors. Some are in plain sight but easy to miss. Some require a bit of effort to reach, and that effort is part of the experience.
What they share is authenticity. They are not trying to be something they are not.
Where These Recommendations Come From
Every place on this site has a story behind it.
Many are places I have visited personally, often multiple times across different seasons and times of day. I want to know how a café feels on a weekday morning versus a Saturday afternoon. I want to understand what a bar is like when it is quiet versus when it fills up. I want to see how a market changes depending on the time.
Other recommendations come from people I trust. Friends who have lived in Bangkok for years. Colleagues who grew up here and know their neighborhoods deeply. Chefs, designers, artists, and entrepreneurs who pay attention to where they eat, drink, and spend their time. Long-term expats who have done the work of discovering the city slowly.
I also listen to visitors. Sometimes the best perspective comes from someone experiencing Bangkok for the first time with fresh eyes. A tourist who stumbled onto something wonderful and wanted to share it. A traveler who did their research and found something I had missed.
What I do not do is copy lists from other websites. I do not accept paid placements. I do not feature places because they are trendy or because someone asked me to promote them. If a place is on this site, it is because someone I trust experienced it and found it worth sharing.
The Philosophy Behind the Name
Gems are valuable. But gems are also meant to be shared.
That phrase, gems are meant to be shared, became the foundation of this project. Bangkok has so many places that feel like small treasures. Keeping them secret serves no one. Sharing them carefully, honestly, and with respect for the city and the people who live here serves everyone.
Caring is sharing. I believe that. If you love a place, tell people about it. Help them find it. Give them the context to experience it properly. That is what this site tries to do.
What You Will Find Here
Bangkok Hidden Gems covers cafés, bars, food, markets, wellness, culture, nature, and more. Each category follows the same approach. Clear information. Honest descriptions. Practical details about how to visit. Context about why a place matters.
You will not find exaggerated claims. No breathless superlatives. No pretending every place is the best of something. The goal is accurate recommendations that help you decide if a place suits what you are looking for.
I write in a way that respects your time. If you want to know how to get somewhere, that information is easy to find. If you want to understand what makes a place special, that context is there. If you want an insider tip that improves your experience, I include those too.
For Locals and Visitors Alike
This site is not only for tourists. Many of the best recommendations come from people who live in Bangkok and want to explore their own city more deeply. If you have been here for years and feel like you have run out of places to discover, this site is for you too.
Bangkok changes constantly. New places open. Old favorites close or evolve. Neighborhoods shift character. The city is always revealing something new if you pay attention.
Trust and Transparency
I do not run ads. There are no sponsored posts. No affiliate links disguised as honest recommendations. When I recommend a place, it is because I genuinely believe it deserves your attention.
This approach means the site grows slowly. That is fine. The goal is not to become the biggest Bangkok website. The goal is to become the most trustworthy.
If I ever make a mistake or recommend somewhere that has changed, I want to know. Send me a message. I update information when I learn something new.
The Long View
Bangkok Hidden Gems is a long-term project. I plan to keep adding places, refining recommendations, and building a resource that becomes more useful over time.
Eventually, I hope to create curated walks, neighborhood guides, and seasonal recommendations. Maybe feature contributions from other trusted voices who know the city well. The foundation will always be the same: careful curation, honest writing, and genuine respect for Bangkok.
A Final Thought
Bangkok has changed my life. That sounds dramatic, but it is true. This city taught me to slow down, pay attention, and appreciate places that do not announce themselves loudly. It taught me that the best experiences often require a bit of searching.
This site is my way of sharing what I have found. If it helps you discover even one place that makes you feel something, that is enough.
Gems are meant to be shared. Welcome to Bangkok Hidden Gems.
Have a place you think belongs here? Know a hidden gem I have missed? I am always looking for trusted recommendations. Get in touch.