Bangkok

Introduction

Bangkok at night - long exposure, panoramic view

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In Thai, Bangkok is known as the "City of Angels", a name which may be a little misguided. Bangkok is the capital and largest city of Thailand, a magnetic and impressive city with many attractions for travellers.

Bangkok offers a snap-shot of the cultural makeup of Thailand, since it is inhabited by people from throughout the country. It is possible to find food and goods from all over Thailand in Bangkok.

Bangkok may not be the kind of city you'd fall in love with (it's very commercial), but it is an amazing city nonetheless.

Neighbourhoods

Pat Pong

The most famous - or infamous - area in Bangkok is the Pat Pong area, which is heavily populated by lady boys. Lady boys are Trans-gendered males who dress and act like girls. But other than that the small roadside stalls in Pat Pong are one of the best places to get a bargain on shirts, shoes and the like - just remember that most of the stuff is fake. This is also a dangerous area, with heavy mafia connection, so it's best to maintain a low profile and not to get into arguments with the stall owners.

Sights and Activities

Temples

Bangkok Grand Palace

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The temples in the centre of town are worth visiting to admire the intricate way in which they were built.

Safari World

Safari World is the open Zoo and it has two parts. The first part comprises looking at the animals in the wild from special buses but one can only stay in the bus and look at the wild animals from giraffes to lions to hippos to a lot of other species. The other part is about special performances by the animals which have been domesticated. The shows include the dolphin show, the parrot show, elephant and the snake show. Besides there are also some performances like the Wild West Show and a show inspired from the James Bond movie. The performers do a good job with the audience truly involved. You have to devote an entire day or at least half a day for the Safari World.

Crocodile farm

The crocodile farm is also a treat where one can see live crocodiles playing with their handlers from close range.

Shopping

Bangkok has lots of shopping malls, the most famous being MBK. Adjacent to it is Tokyu. Again they can be reached via the sky train so not a problem in terms of transportation. MBK is the place where most of the stuff is copied or just own designer labels so it’s a bit cheap but the quality of the goods is a lot better than those bought from the street but Tokyu is the branded one. It’s a bit more expensive than MBK.

The Chatuchak Market, also called the weekend market, which is supposed to be the biggest of its kind, is a place worth paying a visit to, especially on the weekend. You can get there directly via the sky train. It's a shopper’s paradise, especially for those people looking for some authentic Thai stuff to decorate their houses. There are wooden goods of a far greater quality than what is generally available in the rest of the city and the things are cheap as well.

The Suan Laum night bazaar is a place for the night. Here you can see a fight of Muay Thai and enjoy the night as well as do some shopping and indulge in local Thai food. The atmosphere here is one of resigned friendliness. A lot of tourists come here through booked tours, but it's pretty easy to come on your own account and save some money.

Fruit Vendors at Damnoen Sadouak

© All Rights Reserved BramRamaut

The Floating Market is a market on the river. The growers come to sell their stuff in long boats which are powered by small engines. They have tasty coconut juice here, as well as some souvenir shops, but you have to bargain a lot if you want it at the right price because the place is too touristy.

Here are some of the other great places to shop in Bangkok:

• The Gaysorn Shopping Center, located on the legendary Ratchaprasong shopping district.
• Platinum Mall
• Siam Paragon, Siam Center, Siam Discovery
• Emporium
• Pantip Plaza: Known for computer hardware and software-copies. The authorities have tried to get rid of the copying-industry but without big success. You should however keep a low profile if you are looking for copies since the ships do still run a risk by selling it.

Events and Festivals

Weather

Although Thailand has 3 seasons (hot, rainy and cold), Bangkok tends to have only two. These two seasons are the hot and then the rainy season because it is normally only cold in Bangkok for about a week or so per year during January. The heat builds up after January and around May it is possible to experience a temperature above 40º C and a humidity close to 100%. The rainy season normally starts in June. The rainy season does not mean that the rain is pouring down all day long but is normally restricted to a heavy shower once a day. Sometimes the rain persists for hours and the enormous amount of rainwater is not able to escape in the sours so floods are not uncommon in Bangkok during the rainy season. The rain cools down the air somewhat, but the humidity is still very high. The cold season ought to start around October but as mentioned above, Bangkokians do not perceive this season as anything different from the hot and dry season. Even during the dry season it is not uncommon that Bangkok receives a shower once in a while but it rarely leads to floods.

Getting There

Buddha

© All Rights Reserved Degolasse

By Plane

Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) is the main airport in Bangkok. From here you can fly to almost any destination in the world. Several budget airlines, such as Air Asia, operate from here making for cheap flights. There are even IATA agents in the airport that can easily arrange tickets to cities in Thailand or neighboring countries day of if necessary. There are several public buses that go to and from the airport all over the city. If you take a taxi the cost should be between 300-400 bhat plus a 50 bhat surcharge.

Don Muang Airport (DMK) is the old airport in Bangkok. Currently only Thai Airway non-connection domestic flights, Nok Air domestic flights and One-Two-Go domestic are using this airport. Right now metered taxi is the only way to get to and from the airport.

From the Suvarnabhumi to Bangkok:

• At the airport, go downstairs and outside. Buy a ticket for the tourist bus (operated by Airport Express), to the Khao San Road. Ticket cost: 150 Bahts. Children free.
• The Bangkok Mass Transit Authority operates regular bus routes from the airport to Bangkok. To catch the regular bus, you need to take a free shuttle at the 2nd floor of the airport to the domestic airport. Ticket cost: 34 Bahts. Children free.
• Taxi from airport. Don't hire the taxis inside the airport. They are more expensive than the ones outside. Go down stairs and outside. Ask the taxi driver to turn on the meter, or else it will cost more. The taxi cost to the Khao San Road is less than 500 Bahts.

By Train

By Car

By Bus

By Boat

Getting Around

If you need to cover short distances, you can hire the three wheeled tuk tuk. Be aware that people have been mugged by tuk tuk drivers before, so make sure your driver is taking you to the right place.

By Car

By Public Transport

You can use public bus service operated by the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority.

By Foot

By Bike

Eat

All kinds of foods are available in Bangkok and Thais loves to eat. Local food from all over Thailand can be obtained here and it is also possible to find Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Vietnamese and Western food. Food can be very cheap with a bowl of noodles for just 25 baht (approximately 1 US dollar) from a street stall. Many restaurants offer main courses for around 100 baht per dish and it is normally possible to find at least one waiter or waitress that is able to speak English. But it is also possible to find more expensive restaurants which are more exclusively decorated and have fine service. Almost every shopping centre in Bangkok also has a food centre. Here it is quite common to buy coupons upon entry, and then choose between the food in small stalls along the walls. The food and drink are paid for with the coupons and if any coupons remains you can exchange them for money upon exit. The more expensive shopping centres tend to have more sophisticated (and more expensive) food too. Thai people like to eat spicy food (spicy=phet) and add chilli to almost anything. However, they are aware that most Westerners prefer non-spicy food and you will often not get any bad surprises except if you order spicy food: This means REALLY spicy!

Besides ordinary food, it is possible to buy all kinds of snacks and fruits in the streets and shopping centres of Bangkok. Grilled chicken, beef, pork and banana are very common snacks and if you choose some of the meat you should also order a bag of sticky rice. One stick of pork or beef normally costs 5-10 baht, while chicken is more expensive simply because it is bigger. Strange snacks can also be found in some parts of Bangkok, including Khao San Rd. This can be as strange as fried insects of all kinds: Grasshoppers, worms, bills and so on. But don't get scared by the looks of it; most of it just tastes like french fries so it is worth trying.

Drink

Water is a very essential drink in Bangkok, as well as in the rest of Thailand simply because of the heat. Drinking water can be bought from 5 baht and up per litre. In addition to this you can buy soft drinks like Coke and Fanta at many places for just 10 baht. Normally the bottle will be emptied in a small plastic bag and ice will be added. This way you can walk around with your soft drink without worrying what to do with the empty bottle after finishing your drink. Beer is also very common and the most common are Singha and Chang, which are normally served with ice in restaurants. It is also possible to buy beer in supermarkets and smaller shops and they cost around 25-30 baht for a small bottle and 40-45 baht for at big bottle. In addition to this it is possible to buy iced tea and coffee from street stalls and supermarkets as well as energizer drinks. Fruit juices of various kinds are also quite common and sometimes it is possible to find fresh sugarcane juice as well.

Sleep

The Silom area is famous for the fact that most of the south Asians live and work there.

Khao San Road on the other hand is a totally different spot. It’s the hub of backpackers visiting Bangkok. This is the place where all the cheap accommodation is available; don’t be surprised if you get your room for $1.50 (US) here! The place is also littered with a lot of bars and other hangout places, but the activity doesn't start till night falls.

Budget

Mid-Range

Upscale

Work

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