Bangkok City Guide
As the capital of Thailand, Bangkok is probably one of the most visited areas of the country and in Asia. Most foreign airlines land only here, and there is a lot to see and do here before you think about travelling to any other areas of the country.
Getting Around and Sightseeing
In Bangkok, Chao Phraya river acts a bit like how a road might, with quite a lot of traffic still traversing its waters. Many of the interesting places you’ll find are quite close to its banks, so choosing somewhere to stay that’s fairly close to the river is quite a good idea as it will allow you to opt to travel via express boat instead of having to travel a lot along Bangkok’s roads which can get quite hectic in places. An alternative travel method for places a little further afield is railway, and Bangkok has quite a good railway system which although it can get crowded, isn’t as frantic as the roadways here.
As well as using the river as a mode of transport, the river and canals of Bangkok can be quite a draw in the evenings as a way of cooling down and relaxing after your days touring the city. Many of the riverside hotels have boats they rent out, or you can go to the River City shopping complex where there are many available. Boats are generally hired out by the hour, and a tour or one or two hours is a great way of chilling, and getting a flavour of what canal life is like, maybe seeing some Klong boys, and some of the shops and homes that jut out into the water on stilts.
Lumpini Park
Bangkok’s oldest park is Lumpini park, it has two lakes, an area for muscle men and women to lift weights, chess tables out in the open for anyone to use, and even it’s own library. If you spend time around the lakes you will soon discover what lurks beneath and find large monitor lizzards hiding in the shallows. Don’t forget to look under the parks bridgeway to see if you can spot them. If you ever wondered where your bread crusts have gone when buying a sandwich in Thailand, you will find vendors selling bags of bread crusts for you to feed the fish. It is well worth buying some bread to see the catfish and turtles scrapping over the bread morcels. Though visiting a park may not sound particularly exciting, but it’s actually quite a good way to get a feel for modern Bangkok, and see some of the people going about their every day lives.
The Grand Palace
The Grand Palace is going to be somewhere you’ll want to visit. Coming to Bangkok and not doing so, would be like visiting Egypt and not seeing a pyramid. The Grand Palace is a complex of buildings including temples, residences and more that was begun in 1782 by king Rama I when he made Bangkok Thailand’s capital. It’s been much added to since, and there is a lot to see here, even though some buildings are not open to the public. The Outer court where the army and treasury were housed, The Temple of the Emerald Buddha, and it’s associated museum. The Central court where the kings actual residence is are all filled with such wonderful artifacts and treasures that you can easily spend a day wandering around learning how Royal life used to be, and seeing the sites.
Wat Arun (The Temple of Dawn) on the east bank is a temple best viewed in the early morning sunlight, and then there’s the Jim Thompson House museum where six typically Thai houses were re-constructed in the 1960s. You could even try a dinner cruise if you want to experience a bit of Thailand’s modern cuisine.
5 Day Weather Forecast for Bangkok
