Bangkok
is the capital and most populous city of Thailand.
The city occupies 1,568.7 square kilometres in the Chao
Phraya River delta in Central
Thailand, and has a population of over 8 million, or 12.6
percent of the country's population. Over 14 million people (22.2 percent) live
within the surrounding Bangkok Metropolitan Region,
making Bangkok an extreme primate
city,
dwarfing Thailand's other urban centers in terms of importance.
The
city is well known for its vibrant street life and cultural landmarks, as well
as its notorious red-light districts.
The historic Grand Palace and Buddhist temples
including Wat Arun
and Wat Pho
stand in contrast with other tourist attractions such as the nightlife scenes
of Khaosan
Road and Patpong.
Bangkok is among the world's top tourist destinations. It is a mix of modern
buildings, Chinese-style shop houses, simple one-story huts, and grand Buddhist
temples. It is named the most visited city in MasterCard's Global Destination
Cities Index, and was named "World's Best City" for four consecutive
years by Travel + Leisure
magazine.
Top Attractions:
1.
Grand
Palace & Wat Phra Kaeo
If
there is one must-see sight that no visit to Bangkok would be complete without,
it's the dazzling, spectacular Grand Palace, undoubtedly the city's
most famous landmark. Built in 1782 - and for 150 years the home of the Thai
King, the Royal court and the administrative seat of government - the Grand
Palace of Bangkok is a grand old dame indeed, that continues to have visitors
in awe with its beautiful architecture and intricate detail, all of which is a
proud salute to the creativity and craftsmanship of Thai people. Within its
walls were also the Thai war ministry, state departments, and even the mint.
Today, the complex remains the spiritual heart of the Thai Kingdom.
Grand
Palace offers a spectacular introduction to the twin themes that weave through
almost every aspect of Thai life: Buddhism and royalty. More than 100 mansions,
halls, pavilions, temples and pillars make up a fascinating combination of
Victorian, Italian Renaissance and other style, the oldest of which dates back
200 years. Head first to the main attraction, the Emerald Buddha, housed in Wat
Phra Kaeo, a glitteringly decorative royal chapel. The Buddha is in fact
made of jade, not emerald, and at only 1.5 feet high is an almost, invisible
figure, perched high on a mountain of gold. Wat Phra Kaeo is the holiest
Buddhist site in Thailand and its purpose is to house a sacred artefact – the
Emerald Buddha. Outside the Wat complex, to the south, is the Amarindra Winichai Hall, where at one
time the people petitioned the king. Every new king spends the first night
after his coronation here, where coronation ceremonies still take place. King
Bhumibol makes his birthday speech at the Hall. There is the Wat Phra Kaeo
Museum, which houses a collection of gifts left for the Emerald Buddha.
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| Wat Phra Kaeo |
The
only entrance to the complex (Grand Palace) is the Gate of Glorious Victory in
the middle of the north side on Thanon Na Phra Lan. More like a small city than a palace, it
currently comprises more than 100 buildings, including Wat Phra Kaeo and the
former royal residence. As Thailand’s most sacred site, you have to show
respect by dressing in smart clothes – no vests, shorts, see-through clothes,
sarongs, miniskirts or fisherman’s trousers.
2.
Wat
Arun (The Temple of Dawn)
Wat
Arun is situated on the west (Thonburi) bank of the Chao Phraya River. It is
easily one of the most stunning temples in Bangkok, not only because of its
riverside location, but also because the design is very different to the other
temples you can visit in Bangkok. Wat Arun (or temple of the dawn) is partly
made up of colourfully decorated spires and stands majestically over the water.
Wat Arun is almost directly opposite Wat Pho, so it is very easy to get to.
From Sapphan Taksin boat pier you can take a river boat that stops at pier 8.
From here a small shuttle boat takes you from one side of the river to the
other side. Rama II and Rama III built the large central pagoda and surrounding
pagodas. The temple is open daily from 08:30 to 5:30.
3. Floating Market
Even
though transactions are more concerned with tourists rather than locals these
days, the floating market; boats are still piled high with tropical fruit and
vegetables, fresh, ready-to-drink coconut juice and local food cooked from
floating kitchens located right on the boat. To enjoy the atmosphere
without haggling over prices, try relaxing on a guided boat tour
of Damnoen Saduak market. Floating markets are Taling Chan Market, Bang Ku
Wiang Market, Tha Kha, and Damnoen Saduak.
4.
Chinatown
Bangkok
Bangkok’s
Chinatown is a popular tourist attraction and a food haven for new generation
gourmands who flock here after sunset to explore the vibrant street-side
cuisine. At day time, it’s no less busy, as hordes of shoppers descend upon
this 1-km strip and adjacent Charoenkrung Road to get a day’s worth of staple,
trade gold, or pay a visit to one of the Chinese temples. Packed with market
stalls, street-side restaurants and a dense concentration of gold shops,
Chinatown is an experience not to miss.
5. Wat Pho (Temple of Reclining Buddha)
Wat
Pho (the Temple of the Reclining Buddha) is located behind the Temple of the
Emerald Buddha and a must-do for any first-time visitor in Bangkok. It's one of
the largest temple complexes in the city and famed for its giant reclining
Buddha that measures 46 meters long and is covered in gold leaf. It’s an easy
ten minute walk between here and the Grand Palace, and it is recommend coming to
Wat Pho second, because even though the golden Buddha here is just as popular
many people don’t take the time to wander around the rest of the complex so the
experience tends to be far more relaxing. This superlative royal monastery is
the city’s largest and oldest. This walled complex was built during the reigns
of King Rama I and King Rama III by the best craftsmen in the land and
established as the country’s first center of education and arts. In the
northwest corner of the courtyard stands the chapel of the Reclining Buddha.
The chapel is only slightly bigger that the statue. As for the feet, the vast
black soles are beautifully inlaid with delicate mother-of-pearl showing the
108 auspicious signs, which distinguishes the true Buddha. Along one side of
the statue are 108 bowls which will bring you good luck and a long life if you
put a coin in each. From the reclining Buddha, turn right where four towering
pagodas (chedis) with glazed tiling and mosaics commemorate the first kings of
the Chakri dynasty founded in 1782.
6. Chao Phraya River
The
'Venice of the East' nickname in fact predate Besso's scribblings by hundreds
of years. Like Burma's 'Mandalay', it evokes the romance of the Orient, only
Bangkok-style: of languid sampans drifting down tree-lined canals, of stoic
locals living next to them in floating wooden shophouses, of city life before
the advent of tuk-tuks and traffic jams. In places remaining khlongs are,
though pungent, still picturesque. Old bridges survive, crooked houses still
crowd the waters edge. For a few measly baht you can whiz past them, engulfed
in noise and heat and fumes, rancid water flying toward you as the boat surges
forwards (for speed and sheer exhilaration they put Venice's gondolas to
shame!). Or take a gentle stroll along canal paths, peeking with every few
steps into a new home, stepping as you go over shoes or passed elderly ladies
watering potted plants.
7. Chatuchak Weekend Market
Once
only popular among wholesalers and traders, Chatuchak
Weekend Market has reached a landmark status as a must-visit place for
tourists. Its sheer size and diverse collections of merchandise will bring any
seasoned shoppers to their knees – this is where you can literally shop ‘till
you drop’. The 35-acre area of Chatuchak is home to more than 8,000 market
stalls. On a typical weekend, more than 200,000 visitors come here to sift
through the goods on offer. Veteran shoppers would agree that just about
everything is on sale here, although not all at the best bargain rates. But if
you have one weekend in Bangkok, squeeze in a day trip to Chatuchak Weekend
Market and you will not be disappointed.
8.
Khao
San Road
If
Bangkok is a city where East greets West, then Khao San Road is the scene of
their collision, the place where they jostle for superiority and poke one
another in the eye. With travellers from every corner of the modern world,
sleek clubs playing sophisticated sounds, eclectic market stalls, converted VW cocktail
bars, and foods tamed to suit the Western palate, it may seem clear who won the
fight. This street attracts tourist from around the world. Squeezed into a
strip of under a kilometre are stalls three-deep selling clothes, food and
souvenirs, as well as a maze of streets with cramped, basic travellers’
accommodation. Less than two kilometres north of the Grand Palace is
Thailand’s infamous backpacker ghetto, centered around Khao San Road. The
street is now literally jam-packed with bars, nightclubs, and guesthouses. By
day, you’ll see visitors from around the globe hanging out, drinking beer and
watching Western movies in one of the many guesthouses offering such
entertainment. By night, the street explodes into what can only be described as
a zoo. Hawkers sell everything from shots of vodka to pad thai to sneakers; bar
workers try to lure passerby into bars
promises of cheap drinks; music from the 100 different clubs and bars
spills out onto the street.
9.
Soi
Cowboy/Nana Plaza/Patpong
Soi Cowboy is a short (150 meter
long) street with some 40, mostly go-go, bars, similar to Nana
Plaza and Patpong.
It caters mainly to tourists and expatriates. It
is near Sukhumvit Road,
between Sukhumvit Soi
21 (also called Soi Asoke) and Soi 23, within walking distance from the BTS
Skytrain's Asok
Station and the Bangkok
Metro's Sukhumvit
Station. Soi Cowboy was named after the cowboy hat-wearing
African-American who opened the first bar here in the early 1970s, this
red-light district has a more laid-back, carnival-like feel to it than Patpong
or Nana Plaza. Flashing neon lights up a colourful streetscape comprised mainly
of middle-aged expats, Japanese and western tourists, and of course a lot of
sexily dressed girls. Soi Cowboy is just next to Terminal 21, this very popular
new shopping mall, so just cross the street and see it for yourself.
Located
in Sukhumvit Soi 4, Nana Plaza is Bangkok's naughty central. Notorious for its
racy themed go-go bars - from school-girl and leather dominatrix to ladyboy -
it's a three storeys of eye-popping activity all focused around a square-shaped
central atrium. Unlike at the better-known Soi Cowboy or Patpong, Nana Plaza is
a 'more adult' scene. That means no families, no markets and few curious
tourists strolling in for a look. It is still worth a look if you are looking
for an exotic visual experience, and a photo to talk about when back home. It
is considered as the largest sex complex (3-storey) in the world. On the other
hand, Patpong, one of the world's most famous red-light districts, is where it
all started (Thailand's Go-Go culture). It has even been immortalised in a
James Bond chase-sequence. Its two parallel side-streets, found between Silom
and Surawongse Roads, house around 100 neon-lit strip bars offering naughty
shows and the famous pole-dancing entertainment.
10. Jim Thompson’s House
The
lovely garden-enclosed compound sitting on the bank of the Saen Saeb
Canal would have gone completely unnoticed, had it not been
for a legacy left behind by a middle-aged American man named Jim Thompson. His
elegant residential enclave, comprising six traditional Thai teakwood houses
transported from Ayutthaya and Bangkok’s Ban Krua community, echoes Jim
Thompson’s 30-year love affair with Southeast Asian art and cultural
heritage. An architect by training and an avid collector of Asian objets
d’art, Jim Thompson’s keen eyes and flair for design breathed life into
everything he touched. After his discharge from military service in 1946, Jim
Thompson decided to settle down in Thailand, where he dedicated over 30 years
to reviving Thai silk – then a dying cottage industry – and introduced it to
the world’s most respectable fashion houses and catwalks in Paris, New York,
London and Milan. He disappeared in Malaysia’s Cameron Highlands in 1967
under mysterious circumstances.
Shopping
Siam
Square and the surrounding area is the city’s shopping heart. Bangkok's modern,
multi-storey shopping malls are a shopaholic's paradise. From the
legendary MBK, to the
sophisticated Emporium, trendy Siam Discovery and Central World Plaza (the largest
shopping mall), or unashamedly upscale Siam Paragon, Bangkok's accommodate every taste, pocket and style.
The latest addition to the city's 'mallscape' is the innovative Terminal 21 and Central Plaza Rama 9.
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| Siam Paragon |
These malls are where you'll find the city's
finest fashion stores, global brands, book shops, speciality stores,
accessories stands and all kinds of luxury designer lifestyle goods. Not only
are you spoiled for choice; it's all super easy to navigate. Modern and
air-conditioned, they're also a pleasant alternative to the bustling hot
markets, and most complexes are easily accessible via the city's modern and
efficient Skytrain (BTS) system.
