Snap! The 6 most cliched Bangkok tourist photo ops of all time

Any city has its unique snapshots, those pictures that instantly represent the soul of an urban personality. Bangkok especially so.

And few cities can have as many single photo opportunities that let you know instantly: “Hey, that dude is in Bangkok.”

Some are taken so often they’ve become clichéd, appearing on any given Facebook page or Flickr stream relating to Bangkok travel. 

But we’re not mocking. We’ve taken these photos too. Hundreds of them. And we've managed to narrow our favorites down to six, so that you too can enjoy the best tourist photo clichés Bangkok possesses.

1. Munching on bugs

Some Bangkokians eat bugs, many don’t. No big deal.

But for a first-time traveler to Bangkok they’re a delight, something to shock and awe your friends back home with when you show them pictorial evidence that you mustered the courage to eat a fried scorpion.

One warning: now that Jessica Simpson has eaten a Bangkok bug, the tired stunt is no longer atop the Bangkok street cred chart.

2. Buddhist monk in an unlikely setting

Tourists love to take photos of Bangkok's saffron-robed monks, especially when they see them venturing away from the temple grounds to do something "normal."

Maybe he’s topping up his mobile phone at Pantip plaza, or perhaps riding the Skytrain. The possibilities are endless.

These photos will usually be captioned with something pithy or philosophical, along the lines of “tradition meets modernity.”

3. Sitting in a tuk-tuk

When you think of Bangkok, you probably think temples, tuk-tuks and nightlife.

So what could better depict your visit here than a shot of you actually sitting in of one of these wacky Thai vehicles that we all love to hate.

Better yet, get into the driver seat and pose, pretending you’re the one commandeering the three-wheeled annoyance down Bangkok’s traffic-filled streets.

4. One night with a ladyboy

Usually found in a Facebook photo album cleverly titled “One Night in Bangkok,” most tourists have snapped at least one picture of a sultry ladyboy.

After all, Bangkok and ladyboys go together like Tokyo and sushi.

Even the American hit TV show “Glee” paid tribute to Thailand’s world-renowned acceptance for the GLBT community, with the beloved Sue Sylvester saying: “Are you an Eve who was born a Steve? Because if you are, I think there’s a special school that would better address your needs. And I think that school is in Thailand."

5. Wasted nights on Khao San Road

Perhaps the most clichéd photo of all is the picture of the drunken backpacker standing below the bright lights of Khao San Road with a goofy grin on their face, maybe clutching a bucket of Red Bull and sangsom.

Also popular is the embarrassing photo of a passed out backpacker on the side of the road.

6. Show Ronald some respect

Backpackers love to hate on their counterparts who cave and slip into a McDonald's for a cheeseburger fix after dining on pad Thai for 30 days straight.

But whether or not they decide to stop in for a taste of home -- sometimes with an Asian twist -- few can pass up the chance to take a photo of the ubiquitous "wai’ing" Ronald outside many a Thai McDonald's.

Best captioned with "East meets West" followed by a comment lamenting globalization.

Do you have a favorite Bangkok photo cliché? Let us know in the comments section below.