1

Bangkok does not have what you might call a city centre so you would have to chose where you might want to go. Given that you would want to be back at the airport by 22.00 to check in (or a little later if already checked in) this limits your options. Getting back to the airport by Taxi or Airport Express (check the return times) will be no problem but with your arrival time going into Bangkok by taxi would not be such a good idea

I would say you should use the Airport Express and simply explore close to Makkasan or Phaya Thai and I am sure that some better qualified than me could give you some ideas

2

Bangkok has 2 airports. Are you arriving and departing from Suvarnabhumi? Suvarnabhumi is the airport that is newer and has rail service.

City Line (Airport Rail Link) will get you to the Pratunam area for less than 45 baht. Maybe 20/25 minute ride. Get off at Ratchaprorop Rail Link stop. More things you can walk to from this stop.

Walk to Pratunam shopping, Platinum Mall, Panthip Plaza IT Mall, some restaurants and wholesale shopping near the Baiyoke Sky Hotel. Go back to the airport. Any junk you buy you will have to figure out how to bring it home. Any liquids you buy will be confiscated if you try carry it on the plane.

At the airport there is a left luggage office.

Better option is if you are only coming from another city in Thailand is to get to Bangkok a day earlier and see the city. Scheduling a full day and night in Bangkok will give you more time to see things.

3

Yes, I will arrive at Suvarnabhumi airport from Yangon, Myanmar and am hoping to be able to check in my luggage for the whole journey at Yangon airport already.
I will google the Pratunam area which you mention, sounds like a good idea.
Many thanks!

4

Keep this in mind. If you arrive at 5pm it will take at least an hour to clear immigration and customs. This is rush hour so best to take the train which is in the airport and not mess around with taxis. Let's say you reach the end of the line on the train around 6:45 and you have to be back at airport by 10:00, you have about 2 hours to sight see in BKK. I would probably suggest you go a few stops south on the Skytrain and hang out around MBK area near the National Stadium station because there is a big elevated walkway with views of the city and you can easily get a meal and get ready for return to airport via the same train. Traffic is often jammed at this time and if you took a taxi it might turn into a few hours of anxiety stuck in a car.

5

i think you should be able to check your luggage and yourself from yangon to your final destination, but you still have to calculate in a small delay, and going thrue immigration, so you probably wont be able to leave the airport before 6pm. assuming that you have checked trough to your final destination, you still have to count in enough time for the "reverse way" thai immigration and on time boarding (suvarnabhumi being pretty spread out this can also take up some time). for a flight departing at midnight, i would be back at the airport at 10.30pm the latest.

all of this means of course - not much time in bangkok. including the time you need to get into the city and back into suvarnabhumi, you will have arond 2.5 hours there. short, but better than nothing.
in "your shoes", i would go for dinner. take a cab to a big shopping centre and have dinner in the food hall / centre there (cheap and tasty) and go shopping and people watching afterwards (mbk is great). or enjoy dinner in a "sky restaurant" (on the roof top of a skyscraper, open-air, with amazing views of the city) - like at siam@siam or banyan tree. phra arthit road near kao san road has some really good restaurants to enjoy thai food in, and its also a nice area to walk around (on the river and also for people watching around kao san road).

6

Thanks very much everyone! I will check out the MBK area I think.