| | Overview (Source: Frommers) |
With a population of over 10 million in a country of only 64 million, Thailand's capital teems with humanity. As the cultural heart of the kingdom, the city keeps many traditions still visibly intact -- yet Bangkok is also a rapidly changing city. If you go beyond the city's new transport systems (the above-road Bangkok Transit System [BTS] and the Mass Rapid Transit [MRT] subway), it can be a challenge. Heavy traffic, excessive heat and humidity, and at certain times of the year, smog, can make Bangkok truly overwhelming. Nevertheless, to find the charm of the city, all you need to do is to be adventurous and explore areas outside the central business district, packed full of skyscrapers and shopping malls. Founded when King Rama I moved the city across the river from Thonburi in 1782, Bangkok is not a particularly ancient capital, but rather a cool mix of modernity and tradition. Saffron-robed monks mingle in the sois with Starbucks-drinking, cellphone-wielding yuppies or bouffant-wigged socialites known by the abbreviation hi-so. Luxurious, glass-clad condos brazenly penetrate the skyscape, juxtaposed by tin-roofed slums teetering along putrid canals. Amongst the concrete, glittering wats and ramshackle colonial edifices pepper this ancient and vibrant city. What strikes many upon arrival in the Big Mango, as it's lovingly known, is the highly developed infrastructure, high-end shopping, world-class accommodations, and welcoming people; compared to Hong Kon
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| History (Source: WCities) | Top | In just over 200 years, Bangkok has grown from a small collection of villages scattered among canals and rice paddies alongside the Chao Phraya River to an enormous sprawl of a capital. Extending upward and outward to become Thailand's dominant city, Bangkok mirrors the long, continuing reign of the Chakri dynasty that founded it. The seeds of this growth were sown back in 1767 when invading Burmese armies razed the old capital of Ayutthaya tearing down temples. Those that survived, including the royal family, were carted off as slaves. Out of this chaos, a Thai general named Phraya Thaksin founded a new capital at Thonburi on the western bank of the Chao Phraya River, opposite modern Bangkok, proclaimed himself king and immediately set about recapturing much of the surrounding country. One of the few surviving legacies from this period is Wat Arun , or "Temple of the Dawn." It has since been enlarged and reconstructed, but was originally part of Thaksin's royal temple. Following his military successes, Thaksin became more and more excessive in his behavior and was finally ousted in a coup that transferred power to another general, Chao Phraya Chakri. Chakri kicked off the modern history of Bangkok by transferring the capital from Thonburi to the eastern bank of the river, founding Bangkok in 1782 on the fortified island of Ratanakosin. Chakri refurbished many of the existing temples in the area, such as Wat Po , and built present-day tourist sites, including Wat Phr
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| How To Get There (Source: Frommers) | Top | Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International Airport (airport code BKK), opened in September 2006, is now the main hub for all international travelers arriving to Thailand; it also handles domestic flights (with three-digit codes) in and out of the capital. It's 30km (over 18 miles) east of the city. Suvarnabhumi offers a wide range of services, including luggage storage, currency exchange, banks, a branch of the British pharmacy Boots, ATMs, a post office, medical centers (two are 24-hr. clinics), Internet service, and telephones. All of Suvarnabhumi's restaurant and shopping outlets are infamously overpriced (up to 10 times city prices), though; budget travelers would do well to stop by a downtown convenience store to stock up on snacks and drinks. Five minutes away is Novotel Suvarnabhumi Airport (www.novotel.com), a five-star hotel. For more detailed information on Suvarnabhumi, see www.airportthai.co.th . Old Don Mueang Airport (airline code DMG) is 24km (15 miles) north of the heart of the city and was closed for a period in 2006. It has recently reopened, serving some domestic flights (with four-digit codes) and all flights on One-Two-GO and Nok Air. It no longer offers the range of services it used to but still has cafes and diners as well as ATMs. Amari Don Mueang Airport Hotel (www.amari.com) is opposite the airport and accessed via a skybridge or a shuttle bus (book in advance). For more details on Don Mueang, see www.bangkok-city.com/airport/airport_don-mu
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| What To Do (Source: WCities) | Top | Bangkok is a city of endless diversity, where boredom is never an option. There is a whole lot more to Bangkok than just its legendary nightlife. Traditional Thai Dance and Drama, Contemporary Theater and Cabaret For something a little more cultural, Bangkok features some excellent examples of traditional Thai dance and drama. Known as khon , these performances involve masked actors portraying heroes, heroines, monkeys and demons from the Ramakian (the Thai version of the Hindu Ramayana ). Two of the best places to see khon are the National Theatre and the Chaloem Krung Royal Theatre . In addition, there are many dinner theaters catering largely to tourists, where admission covers dinner and a show. Sala Rim Naam , which is run by the Oriental Hotel , features one of the more extravagant settings of any dinner theater. Others worth visiting are Baan Thai and Maneeya Lotus Room. Lakhon kae bon , a khon variant, can be seen free of charge at the Erawan Shrine and Lak Mueang , commissioned by worshippers whose wishes have been granted by the deities in these busy city shrines. Also of interest for the theatrically inclined, the Bangkok Playhouse serves as a regular venue for contemporary Thai theater and performance art. Lastly, there are at least two big tourist-friendly transvestite cabaret shows worth seeing— Calypso Cabaret at the Asia Hotel , which is the most famous and possibly the best, and Mambo Cabaret on Sukhumvit Road, a newcome
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| Getting Around (Source: Frommers) | Top | The Bangkok Transit System (BTS) gets called "Skytrain" by foreigners (though calling it thus will just confuse local taxi drivers). It opened in 1999 and is the best way for the able-bodied to get around Bangkok. Sadly, its lack of elevators makes it unsuitable for the physically challenged or those who can't cope with stairs. While coverage is still limited (extensions to Thonburi are planned for 2008), the train system provides good access to Bangkok's commercial centers. The Silom Line runs from the Chao Phraya River's Central Pier at Saphan Taksin (Taksin Bridge) through the Silom area to Siam Square. The interchange point for the Sukhumvit Line is at Siam BTS and goes north to Chatuchak Weekend Market (at Mo Chit BTS), or east, along the length of Sukhumvit road to On Nut BTS. Single-journey tickets cost from 15B to 40B (28¢-US$1.10/14p-60p). For single trips, it's fairly straightforward to buy tickets at the vending machines that have place names spelled phonetically in English; you can get small change at the information booth as needed. All ticket types let you through the turnstile and are required for exit, so be sure to hang on to them. You can also buy the new, stored-value Sky Smart Pass that can be topped up (you simply sweep them over sensors at the turnstile) for 100B (US$5.10/£1.55) plus a 30B (85¢/44p) nonrefundable deposit. It's used up as you travel and lasts 5 years. Or, there's a 1-day unlimited travel ticket for 120B (US$3.40/£1.85), as well as
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