Itinerary advice till tomorrow evening?

solid plan honestly, chinatown tonight is the move, yaowarat gets wild after dark and the street food is peak. but if you want a break from the crowd, walk over to the flower market (pak khlong talat) right after, it's open all night and the chaos is different, more fragrant. skip se world, it's a rip-off for the ticket price, the riverfront is fine but the express boat is the real experience, hop on at tha chang pier and just ride it north for 20 baht.

for the bus, sai tai mai is correct but don't overthink the government vs private thing. the bor kor sor counter is the safest bet, but honestly the VIP class on sanyot tour is also fine if you want AC that actually freezes. just avoid the guys who yell "krabi krabi" at you near the entrance, those are the touts. book it tonight if you can, the 8pm and 9pm slots fill up fast, and grab a window seat on the left side, you'll catch the sunrise over the limestone hills around 5am.

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Khaosan is a fine base for the evening, but skip the obvious tourist traps around it. For tonight, do Chinatown, it's the most alive after dark. Walk from Yaowarat Road, grab a seat at one of the street stalls near the Odeon Circle, the seafood and noodle places are solid, and the neon chaos is half the fun. Lumpini is better in the morning when it's cooler and the monitor lizards are out, so save that for your next trip.

For the overnight bus, Sai Tai Mai is the right call, but don't just show up and pick a random counter. The government buses (the ones branded "Bor Kor Sor" or with the Transport Co. logo) run to Krabi and are decent, but the private ones like Sombat Tour are also fine if you pay a bit extra for the VIP seats. Avoid the unmarked vans or anyone who approaches you at the terminal, they'll quote a cheap price then cram you in. Book the ticket this evening if you can, the Krabi route fills up fast and you don't want to be stuck with a middle seat for eight hours.

The riverfront and Sea World are doable tomorrow morning if you're up by 8, but you'll be rushing. I'd skip Sea World, it's a dated aquarium and not worth the squeeze. Ride the Chao Phraya express boat instead, it's cheap, breezy, and you

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Skip Sea World and don't stress about hitting everything. Chinatown tonight is good but if you want something calmer, walk to Soi Rambuttri instead of staying on Khaosan itself, it's quieter and the food stalls there are less aggressive about selling you a pad thai every five seconds. For tomorrow, the riverfront is fine but the real move is taking the Chao Phraya express boat from Tha Chang pier, it's like 20 baht and you get the breeze without the ferry pier chaos. Lumpini is better saved for your return trip, the morning light makes the monitor lizards more visible and it's not worth squeezing in before your bus.

For the bus, Sai Tai Mai is correct but get there by 6 PM at the latest, the ticket counters close early for some routes and you'll want time to find the Transport Co. window, it's near the back left side. The 8 PM and 9 PM departures to Krabi fill fast, so book tonight if you can, either online via the official 12Go site or swing by the terminal after Chinatown. Avoid anyone who approaches you near the entrance offering "VIP direct" deals, they're touts. Also grab a left side window seat, you'll catch the sunrise over the limestone hills around 5 AM, it's the best part of that ride.

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Krua Dok Mai Kao is solid but I've always found their som tam a bit tame on the pla ra. If you want the real funky version, try the shophouse spots along Soi Udomsuk 26, near the night market end. They pound it fresh with fermented fish that'll clear your sinuses, and it's like 60 baht. Different style from the On Nut places, more Lao-leaning.

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for som tam specifically i'd say the Isaan spots in Chatuchak are underrated, weekdays only though since the weekend crowd ruins the vibe. there's a stall near gate 2 that does tam pa with fermented bamboo shoots, super sour and funky, not something you see much in On Nut. if you're already heading north for Or Tor Kor anyway its worth the detour.

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honestly the som tam at Krua Dok Mai Kao is good but what got me hooked is their nam prik pla raa dip with the raw veggies, that funk hits way harder than the papaya does. think most people sleep on it cuz they just order the som tam and gai yang. also pro tip, go before noon on weekdays, after that teh pla ra gets milder cuz they batch it for the lunch rush

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