bangkok is an interesting city, extremelytourist friendly and a convenient hub for traveling throughout south east asia. it isreasonably modern while at the same time influenced somewhat by thailand's unique culture. a culturewhich, incidentally, demands that visitors are treated respectfully. although thais have a natural tendency tobe reserved, they are generally both honest
bangkok thailand things to do, and friendly. and thanks to it's climate bangkok attractsvisitors throughout the year. the grand palace, considered unique amongmajor world tourist sites, is very popular. as it incorporates wat phra kaew, thailand'smost important temple, visitors are expected
to dress modestly. when necessary extra clothing is provided. etiquette further demands that hats and shoesare removed before entering the wat itself to see the revered emerald buddha, surprisinglysmall and dressed according to the season. the first part of the palace complex datesfrom 1782 while the second part is influenced somewhat by 19th century european architecture. wat po, situated behind the grand palace,is also very popular with tourists. famous for it's large reclining buddha and massageschool it is the final resting place of thailand's very first king. across the river is the impressive wat arun.temple of the dawn, the dawn of thailand,
decorated with broken pieces of pottery usedas ballast by cargo ships from china. river views await those with the energy necessaryto climb the main stupa. a head for heights is also an advantage. another attraction giving an impressive 360degree view over bangkok and emphasizing the flatness of the land is the golden mountain. while nearby, the iconic giant swing is situatedoutside wat suthat, arguably one of the best temples in bangkok. wat interawiharn, the temple of the tall buddha,which is situated about a kilometer from the khaosan road, also attracts many tourists.it's said that freeing the birds here will
bring you good luck. a ticket to the grand palace incorporatesentry to both the neo classically styled ananda samakom throne hall and the vimnamek mansion,the world's largest teakwood structure, which gives an insight into how thailand's influentialking chulalonghorn lived at the beginning of the 20th century. the reasonably priced zoological gardens aresituated close by and offer a pleasant interlude away from the bustle of the city. for the more cultured, visiting the nationalgallery and national museum will be of interest while the royal barge museum gives an opportunity to appreciate at close quarters a few of the
beautiful craft rarely seen on the river. former silk magnate jim thompson's house isclose to many of the main shopping malls and worth a visit. jim unfortunately went missingin 1967 while in malaysia. it is speculated he was eaten by a tiger but nobody reallyknows. for those who like shopping, bangkok offersan opportunity to indulge. there are many well appointed malls, especiallyin the vicinity of siam square, an area with extensive elevated walkways and well servedby the sky train. it's where many visitors spend their firstday while acclimatising. chatuchak, which operates at weekends, isone of the many markets in bangkok and claims
to be one of the biggest in the world, receivingmore than 200,000 visitors daily. it is easily reached by public transport.go with an open mind and enjoy the experience. and for even more bargains visit sampeng lanein chinatown. it's narrow, it's crowded, it's hot, it's very reasonably priced. and while in chinatown there are some templesworth visiting and of course many chinese restaurants. for those interested in cuisine, thai cookingclasses are popular, catering for both individuals and groups. for those interested in relaxation, the chanceto visit one of the many massage establishments
throughout the city should not be overlooked. the khaosan road area, crammed with bars,restaurants and street venders has been popular with back packers for many years. althoughhaving crept slightly up market recently it has retained it's atmosphere. a visit, especially during the evening, isconsidered by most to be an enjoyable experience. there is of course a wide range of eveningentertainment in bangkok. shows and dinner cruises on the chao praya river are popularwith many tourists as is thai boxing. local tourist agencies and representativesare usually the best source of information and can help with booking.
they are also able to help with the many excursionson offer such as a visit to ayuthaya, thailand's capital until sacked by the burmese and whichboasts some impressive ruins, which optionally can be seen from the comfort of a horse drawncarriage, while elephant rides give a different perspective. another popular excursion is to the bridgeover the river kwai at kanchanaburi. trains still use the bridge so walking overit should be done with care. the well maintained cemetery is somewhat sombre,while the jeath museum and thailand burma railway center give an insight into the conditionsexperienced during the construction of the railway. there are several floating markets aroundbangkok, some more touristy than others. this one at amphawa operates at weekends and isparticularly popular with thais.
lopburi is another former capital. it boastsa number of monuments but most people visit to see the monkeys which inhabit the town. independent travelers will find getting aroundbangkok relatively easy. the skytrain and metro systems offer a clean,comfortable, air conditioned environment in which to travel and are often the best optionat peak times when road transport slows considerably. tuktuks, used frequently by the locals, offera novel way to get around. always ensure the price and destination are agreed and understoodbefore boarding. a surprisingly cost effective alternativeto the tuktuk is the taxi and there are many of them. they are clean, air conditioned andgive a less restricted view. it is a legal
requirement that the meter is switched onand passengers are expected to pay any road tolls. motorcycle taxis are often used to travelshorter distances though not all travel insurance policies cover this convenient option.buses are the cheapest form of transport but slightly challenging for tourists given thestaff, with very few exceptions, speak only local languages and signs displayed are usuallyin thai. finally, a useful form of transport, not tobe overlooked, are the river taxis. they connect with the sky train at saphan taksin and takepassengers close to most major tourist sites. accommodation in the city is plentiful andwide ranging. several hotels, including the peninsula and mandarin oriental rank amongthe very best in the world. while those wishing
for something a little less luxurious areextremely well catered for. visitors to bangkok may wish to view the othervideos in this youtube channel as they contain helpful information.
bangkok is an interesting city, extremelytourist friendly and a convenient hub for traveling throughout south east asia. it isreasonably modern while at the same time influenced somewhat by thailand's unique culture. a culturewhich, incidentally, demands that visitors are treated respectfully. although thais have a natural tendency tobe reserved, they are generally both honest
bangkok thailand things to do, and friendly. and thanks to it's climate bangkok attractsvisitors throughout the year. the grand palace, considered unique amongmajor world tourist sites, is very popular. as it incorporates wat phra kaew, thailand'smost important temple, visitors are expected
to dress modestly. when necessary extra clothing is provided. etiquette further demands that hats and shoesare removed before entering the wat itself to see the revered emerald buddha, surprisinglysmall and dressed according to the season. the first part of the palace complex datesfrom 1782 while the second part is influenced somewhat by 19th century european architecture. wat po, situated behind the grand palace,is also very popular with tourists. famous for it's large reclining buddha and massageschool it is the final resting place of thailand's very first king. across the river is the impressive wat arun.temple of the dawn, the dawn of thailand,
decorated with broken pieces of pottery usedas ballast by cargo ships from china. river views await those with the energy necessaryto climb the main stupa. a head for heights is also an advantage. another attraction giving an impressive 360degree view over bangkok and emphasizing the flatness of the land is the golden mountain. while nearby, the iconic giant swing is situatedoutside wat suthat, arguably one of the best temples in bangkok. wat interawiharn, the temple of the tall buddha,which is situated about a kilometer from the khaosan road, also attracts many tourists.it's said that freeing the birds here will
bring you good luck. a ticket to the grand palace incorporatesentry to both the neo classically styled ananda samakom throne hall and the vimnamek mansion,the world's largest teakwood structure, which gives an insight into how thailand's influentialking chulalonghorn lived at the beginning of the 20th century. the reasonably priced zoological gardens aresituated close by and offer a pleasant interlude away from the bustle of the city. for the more cultured, visiting the nationalgallery and national museum will be of interest while the royal barge museum gives an opportunity to appreciate at close quarters a few of the
beautiful craft rarely seen on the river. former silk magnate jim thompson's house isclose to many of the main shopping malls and worth a visit. jim unfortunately went missingin 1967 while in malaysia. it is speculated he was eaten by a tiger but nobody reallyknows. for those who like shopping, bangkok offersan opportunity to indulge. there are many well appointed malls, especiallyin the vicinity of siam square, an area with extensive elevated walkways and well servedby the sky train. it's where many visitors spend their firstday while acclimatising. chatuchak, which operates at weekends, isone of the many markets in bangkok and claims
to be one of the biggest in the world, receivingmore than 200,000 visitors daily. it is easily reached by public transport.go with an open mind and enjoy the experience. and for even more bargains visit sampeng lanein chinatown. it's narrow, it's crowded, it's hot, it's very reasonably priced. and while in chinatown there are some templesworth visiting and of course many chinese restaurants. for those interested in cuisine, thai cookingclasses are popular, catering for both individuals and groups. for those interested in relaxation, the chanceto visit one of the many massage establishments
throughout the city should not be overlooked. the khaosan road area, crammed with bars,restaurants and street venders has been popular with back packers for many years. althoughhaving crept slightly up market recently it has retained it's atmosphere. a visit, especially during the evening, isconsidered by most to be an enjoyable experience. there is of course a wide range of eveningentertainment in bangkok. shows and dinner cruises on the chao praya river are popularwith many tourists as is thai boxing. local tourist agencies and representativesare usually the best source of information and can help with booking.
they are also able to help with the many excursionson offer such as a visit to ayuthaya, thailand's capital until sacked by the burmese and whichboasts some impressive ruins, which optionally can be seen from the comfort of a horse drawncarriage, while elephant rides give a different perspective. another popular excursion is to the bridgeover the river kwai at kanchanaburi. trains still use the bridge so walking overit should be done with care. the well maintained cemetery is somewhat sombre,while the jeath museum and thailand burma railway center give an insight into the conditionsexperienced during the construction of the railway. there are several floating markets aroundbangkok, some more touristy than others. this one at amphawa operates at weekends and isparticularly popular with thais.
lopburi is another former capital. it boastsa number of monuments but most people visit to see the monkeys which inhabit the town. independent travelers will find getting aroundbangkok relatively easy. the skytrain and metro systems offer a clean,comfortable, air conditioned environment in which to travel and are often the best optionat peak times when road transport slows considerably. tuktuks, used frequently by the locals, offera novel way to get around. always ensure the price and destination are agreed and understoodbefore boarding. a surprisingly cost effective alternativeto the tuktuk is the taxi and there are many of them. they are clean, air conditioned andgive a less restricted view. it is a legal
requirement that the meter is switched onand passengers are expected to pay any road tolls. motorcycle taxis are often used to travelshorter distances though not all travel insurance policies cover this convenient option.buses are the cheapest form of transport but slightly challenging for tourists given thestaff, with very few exceptions, speak only local languages and signs displayed are usuallyin thai. finally, a useful form of transport, not tobe overlooked, are the river taxis. they connect with the sky train at saphan taksin and takepassengers close to most major tourist sites. accommodation in the city is plentiful andwide ranging. several hotels, including the peninsula and mandarin oriental rank amongthe very best in the world. while those wishing
for something a little less luxurious areextremely well catered for. visitors to bangkok may wish to view the othervideos in this youtube channel as they contain helpful information.