This will be my first trip to Bangkok and Koh Naka Yai with my husband and our two friends during the last two weeks in April and we are all getting very excited. We have 4 days in BKK.
All you Thai experts please tell me what you think of our itinerary:

Not in order:
Grand Palace
Wat Po
Wat Arun
Jim Thomson House
Suan Lum Night Bazaar
Suan Pakkad Palace (for the garden. Our lungs will need to breath some "green air&quot
Bike tour of the khlongs

Maybes:
National Museum
Barge Museum

Restaurants:
Sirocco
Mahanaga
LannaThai
Manhora rice barge dinner cruise

We thought we'd eat at small local restaurants and street vendors during the day and eat "Modern Thai" at night, just to see what BKK chefs are creating. Living in NY City, we are very spoiled when it comes to excellent restaurants.
So, Fodorites, what do you think of our plans?

i'm not expert, but we experience most of your list and enjoyed every bit of it! we had a great dinner at harmonique. we had fun going to damnoen floating market, we went so early it was not filling up with tourists until we were on our way out. jatjuak weekend market (open on fridays too) was great! enjoy!

If you do the Grand Palace you should then do the Teak Mansion as your ticket to the Grand Palace also admits you to the teak mansion- so you get a twofer!
Its a nice tour. At night- do the Calypso Cabaret at the Asia hotel. fabulous show for $25 (cocktail show).
You won't regret it and bring your camera!!!!!!!!

The Teak Mansion is Vinmanmek Palace. Definately add it to your list. It is also surrounded by lovely gardens so you will be able to "breathe green" there as well.

no one has mentioned the jim thompson house which i think is in the top 3 sites in bkk today...a must...also v-mark palace is ahead of suan packard...SP is not on a big piece of property--you will only spend about 1/2 hour there unless you look at every relic...the chinese pavillion is magnificant and the princes' boat...

PLEASE DON'T EAT FROM STREET VENDORS, lest you risk getting sick....stick to restaurants which are established...no guarantee with them either but a better chance of escaping sickness...

sorry i see JT house is there...move it up

i'm told the national museum is a waste of time...the barges are interesting and you can get them and wat arun from a klong tour of thornburi...

don't expect much from the food on any boat on the river...nice experience but food is not good usually..

don't expect any clean air anyplace in bkk except in the a/c room of your hotel...

I would definitely add the Vianmanek Mansion. It's a highlight. And I would definitely do a klong tour on a longtail boat during the day -- much more interesting than the river night cruise.

Restaurants -- skip the dinner cruise and go to Bed Supper Club instead. I'd also go for one dinner on the river -- either the outdoor buffet at the Oriental Hotel or their Lord Jim which is now a spectacular resturant.

I'm not at all a fan of the night bazaar -- it's not nearly as good as the one in Chiang Mai. But it depends what you're looking for.

The Marble Temple is one of my favorite of the major temples and is much more peaceful. It can be seen easily and in a short time.

I would also add the floating market if possible as long as you go with a private driver and get there very early.

I notice you're doing a bike tour of the Klongs, is this meant to be a boat tour? If not, I would certainly add a long tail boat trip. Hire a boat from one of the river piers for an hour or so. Avoid the package tours of the klongs these are often much bigger boats and much less fun.

i think you will see very different things from the bike and from the long tail boat...the view from the boat is very interesting as so much bkk life is on the river side of properties, which you would not see from a bike...if i had to choose between the two i would choose the boat tour...the bikes sound like fun however if you are fit and can stand the heat

The National Museum is worthwhile if you go on the English-speaking tour which they offer 1 or 2 times a week. I wouldn't think you would get much out of it otherwise. If you can't get there when there is a tour, give it a pass. The museum is NOT air-conditioned BTW.

Definitely try the Mahanaga for dinner. We ate there on Christmas Day. The food and setting were fantastic. you also have the option of sitting inside or out in the courtyard - if the weather is ok go for the latter. They had a superb jazz band playing when we were there.

The weekend market is great fun and a good place to shop, prices are reasonable (bargain hard) and you can find just about anything. I actually like the night market at Patpong, very unique experience. It's in the "red light" district and the hawkers from the sex clubs propostioned my husband while the market vendors propositioned me! I guess you can call it target advertising.

For a truly memerable dinner, I would suggest Jesters at the Penninsula Hotel. Wonderful fusion cusine with a beautiful high-tech atmosphere. Not cheap by Thai standards but definately reasonable by NYC standards. I live in NYC too and I don't think you will be disappointed.