Sticky rice pays the price: We played the new Monopoly Bangkok game, and we have thoughts

The third edition in the Thailand Monopoly series is finally here. Straight out of Sathorn, we hopped on a GrabBike to play the Monopoly Bangkok as soon as it arrived. Here’s what you can expect from the board game, including every charming Bangkok touch from sticky rice token to street food tax.

Released in collaboration with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), we’re excited to see that Bangkok finally has its own Monopoly board, featuring many of the places we know and love. As TAT Governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool states, “This edition celebrates the essence of Bangkok, highlighting its cultural landmarks, bustling street markets, and luxury hotels. I am so proud to see the city captured in this moment through one of the world’s most iconic games.”

Eager to play and eager to see what is listed (and not listed) on the board, here’s what happened when we ordered FoodPanda, gathered the gang, and played the game. After all, we wouldn’t be true Bangkokians if we didn’t already have an opinion on this.

[Hero and Featured Image Credit: Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok]

Reviewing the Monopoly Bangkok Edition game: What’s different, what’s the same, and what’s unique

How is the Bangkok Monopoly different to the classic Monopoly?

The objective and the rules of the game are the same as in the classic Monopoly, though the board game does come with an acknowledgement that many players like to adapt and create their own rules. Fair play.

What’s different about the Bangkok edition is that you can own three things: a Bangkok location, a mode of transport (taxi, boat, train, and even plane), or an activity (Muay Thai and Thai massage). The tax spaces have also changed, and are labelled as ‘Buy Street Food’ or ‘Tuk Tuk City Tour,’ and you will need to pay the bank when you land on these. Interestingly, you can also pay the jail to get out of it, should you land there.

Most obviously, the game board features familiar places around Bangkok, and definitely presents a wow-moment when you open it. It also comes with 6 new bespoke tokens, themed around Thai items.

Unique Bangkok-themed tokens

To serious Monopoly players, the game begins the moment you select your token, and could determine the fate of your play. The classic edition features the Top Hat, the Battleship, the Thimble, and the Car, to name a few, and we love that the Bangkok edition features 6 completely unique tokens.

The standouts are the Tuk-Tuk, the Moped, and the Suitcase, as a nod to the travellers and tourists who visit Bangkok, as well as the Muay Thai Boxing Gloves, which come as a pair. It took us a hot minute to decipher the Mango Sticky Rice token, though it definitely delivers the highest charm points. The final token is the Backpack, which is the hardest to identify, but also pays homage to all the backpackers who visit Bangkok every year.

Whilst the tuk-tuk was predictable, we were relieved that the game didn’t dig too deep into stereotypes (no elephant token, phew). We would have loved to see a street food cart to further play into Thai food soft power, a nasal inhaler as a nod to our yadom habit, or perhaps a shout-out to the river boats and the sky train, too.

Bangkok Monopoly locations featured (and locations missing)

There are 22 locations featured on Bangkok Monopoly, though we won’t spoil the game by listing them all. The most notable thing is that particular buildings get their own property card, while other cards cover an entire neighbourhood. As a player, you start to wonder what the more worthy investment may be.

The board depicts Bangkok as a very diverse city, from luxury hotels like the Kimpton Maa-Lai, COMO Metropolitan, and Dusit Central Park, to the Bangkok Art & Culture Centre, Central World, Chinatown, and Khao San Road. Did you go to school in Bangkok? ISB alumni will be especially pleased to even spot International School Bangkok in the game.

The most expensive location is Chao Phraya River (at 200M mortgage value), while the more affordable options include Khlong Lat Mayom Floating Market (50M), Benjakitti Forest Park (50M), or the White Flower Factory cafe (30M). Is it a complete checklist for everywhere you should check out in Bangkok? Not really, but it covers most of the areas, with special spotlights for some.

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We started to wonder when the game went for production, given that the price of Talat Phlu (30M) must have skyrocketed following its mention in the award-winning How To Make Millions Before Grandma Dies. Equally star-studded, we think that Raan Jay Fai would have also been a hot ticket, as well as other food chains beside White Flower, like After You or MK Restaurants. Lastly, a creepy but curious inclusion would have been the famous Bangkok ghost tower, also known as Sathorn Unique Tower.

As a Bangkokian, the locations mentioned in Monopoly Bangkok start to drive your imagination for what belongs on the board. As a tourist or traveller, they offer good inspiration for what to visit (even hotels to book). Most notably, religious landmarks like temples or shrines are not featured, though we believe this is as a sign of respect.

Activities, transport, Chance and Community Chest

The most charming and relatable bits of the Monopoly Bangkok game can be found in the finer details, be it unique taxes, activities, or special cards.

We especially enjoyed the occurrences that came from the Community Chest and Chance cards. These include classic Bangkok challenges like pronouncing the city’s full name (win M200!) or strengthening your property ahead of monsoon season (40M per house). The Chance cards are a bit more direct, and feature blessings in the form of a Mahanakhon Skywalk ticket (200M), social hour drinks on the house at Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok (collect 100M), or dining out in Chinatown with friends (each player gets 50M). The most wholesome card is definitely the one that asks for your contribution to city heritage restoration (50M well spent).

In between Chance cards, Community Chest cards, taxes, and property, you’ll also find activities and transport. Players can ‘own’ the activity of Muay Thai (we assume a club) or Thai Massage (we assume a spa). Other players will have to pay rent when they land here. Transportation is also up for grabs, each priced at an intriguing 100M. This means that a taxi or train is priced the same as a boat or a plane, which is an interesting concept.

Monopoly Bangkok highlights what makes Monopoly such a joy in the first place. Realism is not the name of the game. Let’s be honest here. From the locations to the activities and transport, it is clear that when you play, the world is your oyster — quite famously so, if you’re spending time in Bangkok.

The Monopoly Bangkok edition follows the Chiang Mai and Phuket editions, released in previous years. At the time of writing, the game is at Asia Books online and in stores, priced at THB 1185 per box. You can also play Monopoly: Bangkok Edition at the Kimpton Maa-Lai at CRAFT, Stock.Room, and Maa-Lai Library. The game is for sale at the hotel too, available at the concierge desk, at THB 1520 net per box.