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Introduction: Bangkok,
Thailand
Bangkok, one of Southeast Asia's most thriving commercial centers. Many
first-time visitors to Bangkok have little idea of what they will actually
encounter. Bangkok metropolis, accommodating around eight million residents, is
a sophisticated, fast-growing and, on occasions, traffic-clogged city.
Referred to today as the City of Angels (Krung Thep in Thai), Bangkok was
once called the "Venice of the East" because of its many canals.
Although many canals have been filled-in, taking away some of the city's
old-world charm, it is still one of the most intriguing places worth visiting in
Southeast Asia. Many visitors keep coming back to the city, some for business,
some for vacations and some even to settle down here. Without doubt, modern-day
Bangkok is a tourist mecca of the East offering a greater variety of things to
see and do than any other city in Southeast Asia.
Established in 1782 as Thailand's capital, the official, full name of the
city is probably the longest in the world: Krung Thep Maha Nakhon Amon
Rattanakosin Mahinthara Ayutthaya Mahadilokphop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom
Udom Ratchaniwet Maha Sathan Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathatthiya Witsanukam
Prasit.
Bangkok, City of Angels, offers an abundance of sites and attractions for
tourists and is famous for its Buddhist Temples (Wats) including the famous
Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Kaeo), adjacent to the Grand Palace. This
temple, and other beautiful examples of carefully-preserved Thai architecture,
are referred to in more details in our section on day tours.
Bangkok, located in the center of the country, is also an excellent
stepping-off point for visiting other parts of Thailand.
Although the measured pace of old Siam is now a thing of the past, the
country's rich cultural and natural heritage still survives.
Accommodation in the city covers a variety of price ranges, but all offer
high standard of service presented by friendly staffs. The city probably has the
highest concentration of luxury hotels in the world.
Today, hotels and shopping venues offer amazing bargains, following the
depreciation of the Thai baht currency in 1997. And for those in search of
bargains, Bangkok has excellent examples of Thai handicrafts; Thai antiques;
paintings; T-shirts; in-fashion accessories; high-grade Thai silks and high
quality jewellery.
Our section on Amazing Shopping directs you to some of the best spots in the
city for bargain hunting.
The city also boasts a cornucopia of inexpensive restaurant featuring mouth
watering dishes from all regions of Thailand and international cuisine from just
about everywhere in the world. Many gourmets of Thai foods, now rated No.5 in
the world's culinary top ten, considering Bangkok to be on a par with Hong Kong
for gastronomic experiences.
The city offers a broad variety of restaurants, ranging from simple noodle
stands to the most elegant dining rooms. Visitors from Europe and North America
who consider themselves connoisseurs of Thai food will find Bangkok a
gastronomic paradise!
Despite the country's economic downturn, Thai people continue to be outwardly
friendly, greeting visitors with their usual gracious hospitality and sincere
expressions of friendship - traits which have earned Thailand the title of
"Land of Smile". And this is no gimmick as you will discover by the
time you have to leave Thailand.
When the time comes, we hope you will leave the city of Bangkok feeling a
deep warmth for its many charms and find it fascinating enough to enable us to
welcome you back again and again.
Geography
Located in the center of the country, quite close to the Gulf of Thailand,
the greater Bangkok Metropolis (including the former capital of Thonburi on the
other side of the Chao Phraya River) covers an area of 1,600 square kilometers.
The city is situated right in the middle of the rice bowl of Asia, also known
as Chao Phraya River Delta.
Climate and Seasons
If you like it hot, Bangkok is the place for you. Average temperatures
rarely dip below 25 degrees Celsius during the city's three seasons. Between
November and February the weather is warm and dry with temperatures from 19 to
33 degrees Celsius; March-May is hot with temperatures rising to as high as 42
degrees, and from June to October (rainy season) it is warm and sometimes wet,
but never cold. Even the rain is warm!
December is the peak tourist month but if you want to avoid the crowds and
enjoy off-season hotel rates, come during the summertime. The summer monsoon
season may carry some heavy rains but these quite often occur during late
evening and overnight and are unlikely to spoil your enjoyment. However, take
note that August and September are the wettest months so visitors are
recommended to take the weather into account when planning a trip to Bangkok.
Population
Bangkok's resident population is said to total some eight million people,
representing approximately thirteen percent of Thailand's total population.
Most residents are ethnic Thais, with around twenty-five percent of the
city's inhabitants being Chinese or of Chinese descent. Chinese influence is
strong, particularly in the business sector. The second largest group is of
Indian descent, whose heritage can be traced to northern India. The city is also
home to illegal immigrants from Burma, Cambodia, Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
Religion
Buddhism is the prevailing religion in Thailand and approximately 95% of the
population are Buddhists. Muslims constitute around four percent of the
population and live mostly in the southern provinces bordering Malaysia. There
are also small Hindu and Christian communities.
Since Buddha statues and images represent the Buddha, visitors are asked to
behave respectfully to all statues and images so as not to cause offence to
local people. It is illegal to take any Buddhist statues out of Thailand without
the express permission of the Fine Arts Department.
Money
Thai currency is made up of baht and satangs. Commonly used coins are
25-satang, 50-satang, 1 baht, 5 baht and 10 baht denomination. There are
different sizes of 1 and 5 baht coins in circulation, so be careful when you
count your money. Banknotes, which are printed in both Thai and Western
numerals, increase in size according to value and are in different colours: 10
baht is brown; 20 baht is green; 50 baht is blue; 100 baht is red; 500 baht is
purple and 1,000 baht is grey/beige. It is difficult to change large notes in
some market areas, so remember to ask for some small notes when changing money.
Banks are opened from 9:30 hours to 15:30 hours during weekdays. In Bangkok,
you will find many of the banks have foreign exchange services opening until
late in the evening every day, particularly in popular tourists spots.
Travellers' cheques give the highest rate of exchange. American dollar is the
most widely accepted foreign currency, but most other major foreign currencies
can be exchanged at the banks. Payment by credit cards is becoming increasingly
common at most major tourist spots and in most hotels and high-class
restaurants.
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