Bangkok
Grand Palace
The capital of Thailand, was established in 1782 by the first king of the Chakri Dynasty, Rama I. The epitome of an Asian metropolis, Bangkok is 560 sq.km. squeezing in around 6.5million people, making it a very congested city. It is a bustling, urbanised city, that oozes attractions, but it is also a product of a poorly planned city. A jungle of roads, overpasses, concrete and some unfinished infrastructure are a testament to this. Traffic is chaotic, noise and pollution litter the air and the heat is stifling in the hot season and in the wet season there’s flooding. But if you can overcome this, the city is an overload on your sense, a place of wonderful attractions and a shoppers heaven.
Tourists visiting Bangkok will either be middle to upper class or backpackers who flock to Khao San Road where there is cheap accomodation and meals costing around 500Baht and 35Baht respectively. The nightlife is always packed each night.
Did you know?
The name Bangkok comes from Bang Makok, meaning, ‘Plave of Olive Plums, and refers to the original site which is only a small part of what is Bangkok today. Bangkok's official Thai name is the longest name for a city. It is:
"Krungthep mahanakhon amon ratanakosin mahintara ayuthaya mahadilok popnopparat ratchathani burirom udomratchaniwet mahasathan amonpiman avatansathit sakkathattya witsanukamprasit"
Attractions in Bangkok
China Town, Bangkok is situated off Thanon Yaowarat and Thanon Ratchawong. It is a congested and hectic environment that buzzes with night markets selling jewellery, hardware, fabric and of course chinese cuisine. It's a good place to shop and you'll tend to get cheaper prices here than elsewhere in Bangkok.
Dusit Zoo was originally a private botanical garden for Rama V and was converted to a zoo in 1938. It is one of the premier zoological facilities within the SE-Asian region. There is a lot to see at the zoo, with a large collection of mammals, reptiles and birds. There are also rare endangered species such as banteng, gaur, serow and some rhinoceros. The shady grounds feature trees labelled in English Thai and Latin. There’s a lake in the centre with paddle boats for hire and a small children's playground. It is a nice place to get away from the heat and noise of the city and observe how Thais amuse themselves - mainly by eating.
Vimanmek Teak Mansion - The world's largest golden teak building is a beautiful L-shaped, three storey manison consisiting of 81 rooms filled with decorated lattice walls. It was originally constructed on Ko Si Chang island in 1868 but was later moved to its present site, Chitlada Palace in 1910. It served as Rama V's residence in the early 1900's, was closed in 1935 and then reopened to the public in 1982 for the Ratanakosin bicentennial. Remnants of the king's residence are found in the personal artefacts left by the king.
English guided tours leave every half hour between 9.30am and 3pm. Conservative dress is required for entry as it is a royal building, this means, shorts or sleaveless shirts will be denied entry. Vimanmek is at the northern end of teh Chitlada Palace grounds, off Thanon U-Thong Nai across from the western side of the Dusit Zoo.
Wat Arunratchawararam, Wat Arun for short, is classified as a principal class (‘Chan Ake’) Royal temple, sited on the east bank of the Chao Praya River. It is an old temple, built in the days of Thailand’s ancient capital of Ayuthaya and originally known as ‘Wat Makok’ (The Olive Temple). In the ensuing era the when Thonburi was the capital, King Thaksin changed the name to ‘Wat Chaeng’. In a later reign, King Rama II restored the temple and bestowed the new name as ‘Wat Arunratcharam’. Kin Rama IV later made additional restorations and once more changed the temple’s name to the present one.
