BANGKOK

Founded on the banks of the Chao Phraya River and its vast network of khlongs (canals), Bangkok was once called the "Venice of the East" by foreign visitors. The city we know today is unrecognisable from that founded in 1782 by King Rama I. The tranquil pace of river and canal life has been replaced by traffic jams, skyscrapers, cement highways and overpasses and the general frenzy and chaos that is Bangkok in the 21st century. Love it or hate it, it's an amazing experience.

If you only have a few days in Bangkok, perhaps the best way to see the most important sights is to book a full-day city which takes in all the major sights and provides a knowledgeable guide and these can be easily arranged for you by your hotel or any number of booking agencies.

Banglamphu

Because this is the location of Khao San Road, Banglamphu is often the first stop and “base” in Bangkok for many tourists. The accommodation and restaurants, whilst becoming more upmarket all the time, are still amongst the least expensive in the city and it is a hub of activity, day and night. There are literally hundreds of travel booking agencies which can arrange your transport, accommodation, ticketing and tour requirements throughout Thailand.

Banglamphu is also a great location from which to visit the ancient places of worship and royal residences which made up the Old City in ancient times. Many of the sights mentioned below are only a stone’s throw away from this area by foot or local transport.

City Shopping

Whilst there are a number of very large, modern shopping malls within greater Bangkok, most tourists choose to shop in the centre of the city. The major department stores and exclusive boutiques are all well represented within easy walking distance of either Siam, Chitlom or Ploenchit BTS Skytrain Stations. This area offers a huge array of the finest quality fashion products, home decor, silk, jewelry, leather and sporting goods as well as multiplex cinemas and restaurants. The most popular centres are Siam Discovery Centre and nearby MBK Centre, Gaysorn, Central World Plaza (formerly World Trade Centre), Zen, Central Chitlom and The Emporium.

At any of these major centres, it is possible to apply for a VAT Refund which can be collected when you fly out of Bangkok International Airport. There are a couple of restrictions. VAT refunds only apply to goods taken out of Thailand within 60 days of the date of purchase. Goods purchased in each store on any one day must total at least 2,000 baht and the total amount claimed for refund must be at least 5,000 baht. Just ask the sales assistant to complete the necessary forms for you. You must show your passport at the time of purchase.

Markets

For a unique shopping experience, don’t miss the Weekend Market at Chatuchak Park. The easiest way to get there is to take the Skytrain to it’s northern terminal station, Mo Chit and the market is right there. There are literally thousands of stalls in this massive undercover market and you can buy everything from tropical fish to antique musical instruments, as well as all the usual market items such as clothes and jewellery. It’s not really cheap so remember to bargain for your purchases but it’s well worth a visit just for the variety of goods on sale.

Located next to Lumphini Park, the Suan-Lum Night Bazaar has more than 3,500 shops selling clothes and accessories, jewelry, home decorator items, arts and handicrafts, antiques and souvenirs. There is also an enormous fresh food area and hundreds of inexpensive places to eat the local food. It is extremely popular with locals and visitors alike.

There are also excellent wholesale/retail clothes markets at Pratunam Market (cnr Petchaburi Rd and Ratchaprarop Road, near Isetan and Big C Supermarket) and Bo Be Market (on Klong Kasem, near National Stadium). Sam Pheng Market is located in Yaowarat, Bangkok’s Chinatown and is one of the most famous wholesale/retail markets for all manner of goods from clothes and shoes to DVDs, CD’s and fake watches. Computer buffs should not miss the huge Pantip Plaza near Pratunam Market on Petchaburi Road (Bus No.2 from Khao San Road) for all the latest in computer technology and gadgets all under one air-conditioned roof.

Taling Chan Floating Market is the only floating market within the city confines. Take a taxi or air-con Bus 79, early in the day is best.

The best floating market close to Bangkok is the Klong Damnem Saduak Floating Marketin Ratchaburi Province about 100km west of the city. The market takes place between 8am and 10am and offers a bustling scene, popular with photographers, of boats loaded with fruit, vegetables and flowers, sold principally by women wearing the broad straw hats and dressed in the blue cotton clothing favoured by rural Thai people. Enjoy a boat ride through the canals through fruit orchards to experience something of the way of life of the local people.

Nearly all visitors to Bangkok visit the floating market on a day tour, some of which also include the Rose Garden and Thai Cultural Show along the way.

Nightlife

Bangkok’s infamous red-light nightlife is centred around Sukhumvit and Silom Roads. Nowadays, though, those areas have become limited to a few notorious blocks around Soi Nana, Soi Cowboy and the Patpong area. These days, however, these areas are also home to some of the most sophisticated and elegant drinking and dining venues in the city with a number of very elegant nightclubs and wine bars located particularly along Sukhumvit Road.

The city’s Khao San Road area is also a centre for nightlife and this, along with the accommodation in the area, is gradually taking on a more up-market style.

Thailand’s famous Muay Thai Thai Boxing is a popular night-time attraction with bouts at two different stadiums within the city, Lumphini and Ratchadamnoen. Tickets are not cheap. They range from about 200 baht to 2,500 baht for ringside seats and can be purchased at the stadium or through your hotel desk or travel booking agency.

For an inexpensive night out, don’t forget Suan-Lum Night Bazaar, mentioned earlier.

Ban Batra Community

A unique experience quite unknown to most tourists is a visit to the Ban Batra Community in Pomprabsattrupai District, quite near Khao San Road.

Ban Batra is now the only community in Thailand which is well-known for hand-making “batra” – the bowl carried by Buddhist priests to receive offerings of food in the early morning, in the old-fashioned way.

Nowadays, the popularity of handmade batra has declined. Mostly made as souvenir, it is now only made for Buddhist priests by special order. Consequently, most members of the Ban Batra community have been forced to take alternative employment and there are only three families who continue to make the batra by hand by combining several steel sheets and moulding them, using extreme heat to forge the bowl shape.

By visiting the Ban Batra community, you will help to keep alive this dying art in Thailand. The community is located close to Golden Mountain/Wat Saket and could easily be incorporated in a visit there. Take Buses 15 and 47 from Siam Square and get off at Worajak Market. For more information, or to make special arrangements for your visit, please contact Mrs Aree Maliwan 02 223 8093, Mrs Darisa Buamak 02 230 5015 or Mrs Maruree Sursrisern 02 621 0956.

Public Parks

There are a number of very pleasant public parks in Bangkok where you can enjoy some peace and quiet away from the chaos of the city.

Lumphini Park, located in the centre of the city, is to Bangkok what Central Park is to New York City or Hyde Park is to London. It’s not as big as either of them but it is a very pleasant oasis in the city with plenty of grass and shade and cool ponds and fountains. It’s popular with joggers and John Howard, Prime Minister of Australia, caused some discussion when local officials closed the park to locals so that the visiting PM could take his morning run there when he visited for the ASEAN Conference in 2004..

The 200-acre King Rama IX Royal Park is located on Sri Nakharin Road, south-east of the city along Sukhumvit Road. Built to celebrate the King’s 60th birthday in 1987, has a public park, a water park and extensive botanical gardens.

Other public parks include Romaniyanat Park on Mahachai Road, Saranrom Park at the corner of New Road and Rachini Road, Chatuchak Park at Mo Chit BTS Station and near the weekend market and Benjasiri Park on Sukhimvit Road.

The free, 2007 Editions of the on-line Cambodia and Vietnam Travel Guides are now available in English. Other Travel Guides will be available in the near future.

In addition, Arikah now also features free, online encyclopedias in Dutch, English, German, French, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish.