Seven days structured to cover the essential Bangkok experience without burnout.
Grand Palace complex and Wat Pho; Chinatown evening; day 2: Jim Thompson House, Lumphini Park, a cooking class.
Day 3: Chatuchak if weekend, Or Tor Kor Market plus Ari neighbourhood; Day 4: Thonglor and Ekkamai cafes and galleries.
Chao Phraya boat from Sathorn to the Old City; walk to Wat Arun; Royal Barge Museum; Klong Lat Mayom if a weekend.
Ayutthaya (2 hours, train or tour) or Amphawa floating market (weekend only) — a full day out of the city.
Thai massage in the morning; final neighbourhood wander; Asiatique for the riverside sunset; farewell dinner at a destination restaurant.
Leave at least one afternoon unplanned across the week — heat, jet lag, or simply enjoying a neighbourhood longer than expected are common reasons the schedule needs to flex.
This itinerary assumes a fairly active pace; slower travellers can drop the day trip and use the extra day to go deeper into one or two neighbourhoods instead.