Sightseeing in Bangkok

Bangkok Grand Palace

Grand Palace represents an eclectic variety of various architecture styles ranging from the Dusit Hall being a pure Thai castle to the Chakri Hall built in Westernized Thai (or Thaified Western) style, the Dhebidorn Hall which is influenced by Khmer art, and the Chinese Garden designed in best traditions of the Middle Empire. The 945,000-sq-metre compound of the Temple of the Emerald Buddha (official name:Wat Phra Si Ratana Satsdaram) is rendered the main temple of the Kingdom and monks are not allowed inside. This temple adjoins the Grand Palace on common ground which was consecrated in 1782, the first year of the present Chakri (Bangkok) dynasty. Three times a year (one time for every season of the Thai year) the King changes garments covering the green jade statue of the Emerald Buddha seized and brought to Bangkok in the 19th century from Laos. Extremely colorful, the wat elements combine gleaming, gilded chedis, polished orange and green roof tiles, mosaic-encrusted pillars and rich marble pediments.Thai mural paintings and pearl-in-laid door are good specimens of the style reigning in the early Ratanakosin period.

The temple of the Reclining Buddha (Wat Pho)

Wat Pho was built in the reign of King Rama III. Every structure in this temple was built in square form with 12 angles There is also a big statue of the reclining Buddha inside the temple. A long list of superlatives for this one: the oldest and largest wat in Bangkok, it features the largest reclining Buddha and the largest collection of Buddha images in Thailand and was the earliest center for public education in Thailand. As a temple site Wat Pho dates back to the 16th century, but its current history really begins in 1781 with the renovation of the original monastery. Wat Pho is the national headquarters for the teaching and preservation of traditional Thai medicine, particularly Thai massage.
The temple is open to the public from 8 am to 5 pm daily; admission fee for foreigners is 10B. The ticket booth is closed from noon to 1 pm.
Air-con bus No 6,8 and 12 stop near Wat Pho.The nearest Chao Phraya Express pier is Tha Tien. Admission: less than 50 baht.

The National Museum

Within walking distance of the Grand Palace, across the Pramane Ground, is one of the largest and most comprehensive museums in Southeast Asia. The National Museum over one thousand artifacts ranging from neolithic times to the present Bangkok period. The complex, also begun m in 1782, consists of several old hut beautiful buildings of colourful Thai architectural design.
Here is the largest collection of Thai art and artifacts in the country, from Neolithic times to the present. Wednesday-Sunday 9 am-noon and 1-4 pm. Admission: 40 baht for foreigners, 20 baht for Thais. Next to the National Theater and Thammasat University, 4 Na Prathat Rd., phone 224-1333.

The National Museum situated within walking distance of the Grand Palace, across the Pramane Ground, is one of the largest and most comprehensive museums in Southeast Asia. The National Museum houses over one thousand artifacts ranging from Neolithic times to the present Bangkok period. The complex, also begun in 1782, consists of several old but beautiful buildings of colorful Thai architectural design.

The museum is open every day, except Mondays, Tuesdays and public holidays from 9.00 am.4.00 pm. Admission fee is 20 baht. Guided tours are provided in the mornings as follows. They commence at 9.30 am. from the ticket desk.

Jim Thompson's Thai House

This remarkable Thai-style house was the work of Mr. Jim Thompson an American who came to Thailand at the end of the Second World War and revived the Thai Silk industry. His later disappearance in [1968] in the Malaysian jungles remains a mystery to this day. The house now a museum is at the end of Soi Kasemsan 2 opposite the National Stadium on Rama I Road.
On permanent display are Mr.Thompson's collection of Asian artifacts such as blue-while China ware Cambodian stone figures benjarong (a multi-couloured porcelain made in China) wooden Burmese statues and many other fabulous antiques. Jim Thompson's House is open from Monday to Saturday inclusive from 9.00 a.m.- 4.30 p.m.  Volunteer guides explain the collection to visitors.
Admission is 100 baht for adults, 40 baht for children. Phone 215-0122.

The National Arts Gallery

This is on Chao Fa Road opposite the National Theatre. It exhibits traditional and contemporary works of art by Thai artists. The gallery is open to the public everyday except Mondays Tuesdays and public holidays from 9.00 a.m.- 4.00 p.m. phone 281-2224.

The National Theatre

Thailand's National Theatre is on Na Phra Lan Road next to The National Museum. Thai Classical dramas and other types of international arts are periodically staged here. Current programmes can he checked at the theatre (Tel. 2241342) on weekdays between 8.30 a.m. and4.30 p.m. Special exhibition shows of Thai classical dancing and music are held on the last Friday and Saturday of each month Please contact the theatre for details.

Sanam Luang

This huge public ground in front of the Grand Palace used to be the place where the Weekend Market now moved to Suan Chatuchak on Phahonyothin Road was held. Special activities or ceremonies such as the Royal Ploughing Ceremony in May and the New Year Festival also take place here. At the northern part of Sanam Luang opposite the Royal Hotel is a small statue placed in small white pavillion. The Goddess of the Earth was built during King Chulalongkorn's reign (1868-1910)t o provide public drinking water.

Rajdamnoen Avenue

This avenue is one of the few designed streets in Bangkok. All the buildings on this Avenue are built in the same style. Some find it resembling Champ Elisee in Paris.

The Metal Castle

The Metal Castle or Loha Prasart is in the Rachanadda Temple near Wat Sraket. It is the replica of the Loha Prasart that Nang Visakha built to honour Lord Budha in India. The third replica is located in Ceylon (Sri Lanka).

Wat Mahathat

Founded in the 1700s, Wat Mahathat is a national center for the Mahanikai monastic sect and houses one of Bangkok's two Buddhist universities, Mahathat Rajavidyalaya. On weekends, a large produce market is held on the grounds. Opposite the main entrance on the other side of Maharat Rd is a large religious amulet market.

Wat Traimit

The main attraction of the Temple of the Golden Buddha is, of course, the impressive three-meter tall, 5.5-ton solid gold barefoot Buddha image with his footsoles decorated with laborious carvings.

The golden image can be seen every day from 9 am to 5 pm, and admission is 10B. Wat Traimit is near the intesectiun of Yaowarat and Chorine Rung Drs, near Hualamphong station.

Wat Arun

The tall, 82-meter prang (Khmer-style tower) was constructed during the first half of the 19th century by Rammer II and Rammer III. The unique design elongates the typical Khmer prang into a distinctly Thai shape. It's brick core has a plaster covering embedded with a mosaic of broken, multi-hued Chinese porcelain; the use of broken porcelain for temple ornamentation was common in the early Ratanakosin period when Chinese ships calling at Bangkok used tones of old porcelain as ballast. Steep stairs reach a lookout point about halfway up the prang from where you can relish a fine view of the vicinity. During certain festivals, hundreds of lights illuminate the outline of the prang at night.

Wat Run is open daily from 8.30 am to 5 PM; admission is 10B. To reach Wat Run from the Bangkok side, catch a cross-river ferry from Tha Tien at Thai Wang Rd. Crossings are frequent and only cost 1B.

Wat Benchamarachabophit

This wat of white Carrara marble (hence its tourist name, 'Marble Temple') was built at the turn of the century under King Chulalogkorn (Rama V) by a renown architect Prince Narisaranuwatiwong. The large bot is a prime example of modern Thai architecture. 
The courtyard behind the bot exhibits 53 Buddha images (33 originals and 20 copies), representing famous images ad styles from all over Thailand and other Buddhist countries - an education in itself if you're interested in Buddhist iconography.

It's open daily and admission is 10B. Air-con no. 2 and bus no.72 stop near by.

Wat Saket & the Golden Mount

Saket is an undistinguished temple except for the Golden Mount (Phu Khao Thong) on the west side of the grounds which provides good view of Bangkok rooftops at the entrance of the Rachadamnoen Avenue. The artificial hill was created when a large chedi under construction by Rama III collapsed because the soft soil beneath would not support it. 
The resulting mud-and-bick hill was left to sprout weeds until Rama IV built a small chedi on its crest.

Admission to Wat Saket is free except for the final approach to the summit of the Golden Mount, which costs 5B.

China Town (Sampeng)

Bangkok's China Town is an old business center covering a large area around Yaowarat Road and Charoen Krung Road (New Road). There are many small streets and alleys full of shops selling all types of goods. The area is always lively, and market stalls abound. It has been the main center for trading by the Chinese since they were moved from their old site some 200 years ago to make way for the Grand Palace and Emerald Buddha complex.
Chinatown is situated to the southeast of the old town. The gold shop street and the Temple of the Gold Buddha are located here.
If you have the energy, Chinatown can be fun to visit, with its beautiful traditional Chinese temples, multitudes of shops and constant activity. This is one of the busiest parts of Bangkok: Many of the roads narrow to one lane and crisscross the canals, and there aren't many traffic lights, so be careful when crossing the street. For a quick walk-through, begin at the intersection of Pahurat and Ban Mo Roads, just south of Wat Po, and walk east until your feet get tired. Chances are you'll run out of steam before Chinatown runs out of streets. The pink-tinged Nancy Chandler map includes a detailed map of Chinatown's delights.

Pinklao

A bridge was built across the Chao Phraya River near the Grand Palace in 1973. It was named Pin Klao in memory of the last but one deputy king, whose palace was nearby. Now the area on the western side of the river has become one of the most newly developed areas in Bangkok with several department stores, many restaurants and nightlife establishments.

Ratchadaphisek

Ratchadaphisek is the name of the new sections of the inner ring road of Bangkok but is usually used to refer to the short section between the Lat Phrao intersection and the Rama IX Road intersection. This section is being developed into a new commercial district containing several big department stores, office buildings, hotels and a large number of restaurants, A little way off the road is Thailand Cultural Centre, where shows and exhibitions are held from time to time.

Ramkhamhaeng

When Ramkhamhaeng University was founded on Bangkok's eastern outskirts as Thailand's first open university in 1970, the area was rather remote and underdeveloped. However, as the university's yearly enrolments increased rapidly to 100,000, the area soon became a new satellite city of Bangkok with ever-increasing shop-houses, apartment buildings, restaurants, cinema houses, department stores, hotels and places of entertainment.

Siam - Ratchadamri

This is one of the biggest and busiest shopping districts in Bangkok. A huge commercial complex, including a 62-storey World Trade Centre opposite Ratchadamri Arcade, is partly completed. Located in the area are several large department stores, shopping arcades, cinema theatres, and countless smaller shops. So you can satisfy all your needs if you stay in one of over a dozen first-class hotels in the area.

Sukhumwit - New Phetburi

In the section from the Soi Nana crossroads to Soi Sukhumwit 21 (Asok Intersection), there are many shops catering to foreign tourists, where jewellery, leather goods, ready-made garments and souvenirs are sold and tailoring, car rent and other service are offered. Inside the lanes (soi) off the road, there are numerous fashionable residences, hotels, apartment houses, and some really good restaurants.
To the north of Sukhumwit Road is the extension of Phetburi Road which does not have many pedestrians in the daytime. After dark, however, the long street is brightened with colourful neon signs and enlivened by people going out to enjoy themselves in dozens of entertainment Places along the street.

Silom - Surawong

This district has transformed in half a century from paddy fields into the most important business and financial centre of Bangkok . Today, from end to end, these two parallel streets are full of big blocks of multistory buildings, in which are banks, finance firms, insurance companies, export-import houses, hotels, airlines offices, restaurants, shopping arcades, department stores, and entertainment establishments.
A small area in this district known as Patpong, is famous for various kinds of entertainment--wine, beer, music, dancing, etc.

Bang Lamphu

A shopping area once frequented solely by local people has become a popular place for tourists. This area offers various inexpensive items, especially ready made clothes, handbags, men's and lady's shoes, cosmetics and curios. Bargaining is recommended.

Weekend Market at Chatuchak Park

This large open public ground covers approximately 35 acres opposite the Northern Bus Station on Phahonyothin Road. Known as Suan Chatuchak, it hosts the popular Weekend Market where people buy and sell a thousand local products. Items range from exotic fresh fruits, vegetables, handicrafts, dress materials, clothing shoes, toys, domestic utensils and pets. There is a particularly fine section for plants.
But by common consent, the greatest of them all is the two-day Weekend Market at Chatuchak Park, just off the road leading to the airport. In the old days this was held at Sanam Luang, the oval field acrossfrom the Grand Palace, and when congestion finally became hopeless many doubted that it could survive the transfer from such a spectacular setting to what was then regarded as a relatively remote and uninteresting site. The market's unique vitality proved stronger than nostalgia, however, and now it is bigger than ever, covering some 31 acres and filled with more than 5,000 stalls. Where you go in the immense maze, of course, depends on what you are looking for. You may, for example, have a specific need for a friendly baby python, a woodcarving from Chiang Mai, a dinner set of blue and white China, or a delectable out-of-season durian. But the casual visitor will probably most enjoy just wandering around and letting serendipity perform its magic. Almost everything Thailand grows, makes, or imports can be found there, not just all the items mentioned above but also toys, rattan furniture, readymade clothing, hybrid orchids, a dozen different kinds of chilli peppers, bantam chickens, traditional Thai musical instruments, army surplus, baskets for every conceivable purpose, used books and magazines, Nepalese jewelry, antique silks from Laos and Cambodia, and just about anything else that might strike your fancy.

You may get tired (sit down and have some chilled coconut juice), you may be bewildered (what culinary use could all those spices possibly have?), you may even become upset (at the sight, for instance, of rare birds fluttering around in cramped cages); but you will never, for an instant, be bored.

This authentic Asian-style bazaar offers handicrafts, clothes, antiques and plenty of delicious food. Periodically Chatuchak is raided by authorities for the sale of endangered animal species. The colorful Nancy Chandler map includes a map of this market that reveals all the treasure sites.
This huge expanse of landscaped grounds, with a jogging track and a large lake where you can rent rowboats, is a great place to visit before or after shopping at the Weekend Market.
The Weekend Market is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 7.00 a.m. - p.m. 6.00.

Floating Market

Despite the growing number of shopping centers and malls, the floating market persists as a Thai phenomenon. Merchants' paddleboats floating down canals and winding rivers are loaded with vegetables, fruit and flowers.
Several waterside markets can be found along the Chao Phraya River. 

The Pratunam Market next to the Indra Arcade, is worth visiting if you want to broaden your field of vision. It is also the market of garments for export.

Banglampoo Market is on Chakrapong near Sanam Luang and the Democracy Monument, and Talaat Bangrak is on New Road, near the Taksin Sathorn Bridge at the south end of town. Another floating market is located west of Highway 338 on Klong Chak Phra. All are reachable by boat or taxi.

A similar market assembles Sundays at Wat Mahat, near the river between the Grand Palace and Thammasat University. 7 am-5 or 6 pm.

Near the Memorial Bridge (Saphan Phut) is Phak Klong Talaat. Fresh produce and flowers are brought there by boat every morning from the farms of Thonburi.

But the most famous floating market by far is Damnoem Saduak, which keeps outgrowing locations and moving on. It's now outside of town, 65 mi/105 km south in Ratchaburi Province. It's overwhelmed by tourists but is considered better or perhaps more photogenic than floating markets closer to town. Bus tours can be booked in Bangkok. They leave early enough to beat the traffic and stop in various locations to let you take pictures. If you plan to spend a few days in Kanchanaburi, it's quicker to take a Damnoen Saduak tour from there.

Market

Almost overnight, it seemed, the great Pratunam food market disappeared not long ago. A vast new building will rise on the valuable site, and while another market is supposed to return on the lower levels it will surely lack the adventurous spirit of the old one, with its pungent aisles and unexpected discoveries. But no matter: Bangkok has other markets, plenty of them, with enough atmosphere to satisfy anyone who wants to experience what is perhaps the truest expression of the city's vigor and variety.

There is, for instance, Sampheng Lane in the heart of Chinatown, the oldest trading center in the capital. This is a long, narrow alley, covered in places, open in others, extending for seven blocks on either side of Ratchawong Road and offering an extraordinary range of wares: gold chains and fishing supplies, wedding souvenirs and labels for designer clothes, esoteric cooking equipment and plastic flowers, chinaware and camouflage cloth.

When you emerge from Sampheng and cross Chakphet Road, you enter the Pahurat Indian Cloth Market, almost as old and just as crowded, where everything from batik sarongs to English tweeds are to be found.

Not too far away, on Maharaj Road, is another renowned center, Pak Klong Talad, Bangkok's main wholesale market. The best time to go is very early morning, when boats on the Chao Phraya River and trucks from nearby provinces arrive with immense quantities of fresh cut flowers, vegetables, spices, and fruits, all piled high inside the market and along nearby streets.

Nakhon Kasem, popularly known among foreign residents as the Thieves Market, is in the same general area. Its narrow streets once boasted the best antique shops in the city, but while these have largely gone now to more accessible locations, you can still find a wealth of oddities such as windup record players, ships'lamps, old-fashioned ice cream makers, and vintage musical instruments.

Other popular markets else where in the city include Bobay, along Klong Padung Krung Kasem, noted for second-hand clothing; Theves, near the river, which sells ornamental plants as well as food and household goods; Klong Toey, on Rama IV Road, where people go for the best bargains in electronic goods; and Bangrak, on New Road, which has lost a good deal of its old ambience through reconstruction but which is still a major source of traditional floral wreaths and garlands.

Khao San Rd in Banglamphu is the traditional budget-traveller centre, but the Sukhumvit Rd area has a better selection of mid-range hotels. Banglamphu and neighbouring Thewet are the best spots for budget eating. If you want to go for a city stroll and experience day-to-day Bangkok, head for Chinatown and Pahurat, the busy Chinese and Indian market districts.

Parks, Gardens and Zoos

Lumpini Park. Bangkok's foremost park offers profuse exotic greenery to shade you from the afternoon heat. Jogging track and two lakes with rowboat rentals (40 baht per hour). Daily 5 am-8 pm. Free. Rama IV Road.

Out toward the airport is Chatuchak Park.  This huge expanse of landscaped grounds, with a jogging track and a large lake where you can rent rowboats (40 baht per hour), is a great place to visit before or after shopping at the Weekend Market. Daily 5 am-9 pm. Free. Phahalyothin Road.

Sanam Luang. These large, oval, open grounds are best enjoyed in the evening. Aside from a ring of trees around its perimeter, the park offers little escape from the afternoon sun. Kite flying and watching sunsets over the gilded Grand Palace are favorite activities. Across from the Grand Palace.

King Rama IX Royal Park. Set on 200 acres/80 hectares, this park was opened to commemorate the current king's 60th birthday. It offers botanical gardens and great spots for picnicking. Lying 15 mi/24 km outside the city center, it's a bit inconvenient but worth the drive if you're yearning for cleaner air, and it's far less crowded than the three listed above. Daily 6 am-6 pm. Admission: 10 baht. Soi Sukhumvit 103.  

Amusements or theme parks

Except for Magic Land and the Snake Farm, all the destinations listed below can be reached by daily bus tours from hotels and agencies all over town. They're often in combinations. One popular package, for example, will take you to the Saduak Damnoen Floating Market, the Rose Garden and Samphran Elephant Grounds.

Magic Land. Some good rides and games for kids. Daily 10 am-6 pm. Admission: 60 baht adults, 50 baht children. On the north side of town, out toward the airport, 72 Phahloyothin Rd., phone 579-0806.

Samphran Elephant Grounds & Zoo. Set within landscaped gardens and ponds on the outskirts of Bangkok, this is the best place in Thailand to see elephants in action. Daily shows feature everything from the reenactment of an 18th-century Thai battle with soldiers and armored elephants to circus-style antics and elephant-polo matches. Also see a crocodile show, a small zoo and an orchid farm. Shows start at 10 am weekdays, 12:45 pm on weekends. Daily 8 am-6 pm. Admission: 220 baht adults, 120 baht children. Petchkasem Road, near the Rose Garden, phone 284-1873.

Rose Garden. A beautifully landscaped resort with orchid and rose gardens, aviaries and a re-created Thai village. Offers a spectacular one-hour cultural show with all the Thai trimmings -- dance, martial arts, religious ceremonies and elephants. Open daily 8 am-6 pm. Admission: 200 baht. 20 mi/32 km west of Bangkok.

Crocodile Farm. Every taxi driver assumes that the crocodile farm is the one reason you came to Bangkok and will pester you to death about it. If you yearn to see crocodiles, the Crocodile Farm has more than 30,000 of them. Daily shows and lots of interesting exhibits. Open every day 7 am-6 pm. Admission: 300 baht. Samut Prakarn, phone 387-1166. 

The Snake Farm, near the city center, is great fun for kids and adults alike. Run by the Red Cross as a center for collecting venom (to make antitoxin), you can watch as handlers milk poison from cobras, black mambas and other fearsome snakes. Daily shows 10:30 am and 2 pm. 30 baht adults, children free. Adjacent to the Red Cross Building, corner of Rama IV and Henri Dunant Roads, phone 252-0161 or 252-0162.

Safari World. Twenty minutes outside of Bangkok, Safari World contains two smaller parks: Marine Park and Safari Park. Safari Park offers drive-through viewing of Asian and African animals as well as daily shows (at 9 am, 1 pm and 4 pm) featuring birds, orangutans and elephants. 

Marine Park has dolphins and sea lions. Daily 9 am-5 pm. Admission to Safari World: 400 baht for foreign adults, 280 baht for Thai adults, 300 baht for foreign children, 180 baht for Thai children. Admission to Marine Park: 240 baht. Admission to Safari Park: 160 baht plus 400 baht for a show. 99 Raminda 1 Rd., Minburi, phone 518-1000, ext. 232.  

Additional experiences

Chao Phraya River and Canals. See another side of Bangkok by exploring its waterways. Small waterside markets and countless homes line the banks of these busy channels. Charter boats are plentiful. You can hire them independently or book them through reliable tour companies. The docks (tha) close to the Royal Orchid Sheraton and the Shangri-La, as well as Tha Tien -- close to the Royal Palace -- are good places to hire them. Fares depend on your bargaining power, but 300 baht for a tour of a few hours would be a good price, no matter the number of passengers. Klong Bangkok Noi, Klong Chak Phra and Klong Sanam Chair, Wat Arun and the royal barges are worth exploring. Other transportation choices are water taxis and long-tailed boats.

If you have the energy, Chinatown can be fun to visit, with its beautiful traditional Chinese temples, multitudes of shops and constant activity. This is one of the busiest parts of Bangkok: Many of the roads narrow to one lane and crisscross the canals, and there aren't many traffic lights, so be careful when crossing the street. For a quick walk-through, begin at the intersection of Pahurat and Ban Mo Roads, just south of Wat Po, and walk east until your feet get tired. Chances are you'll run out of steam before Chinatown runs out of streets. The pink-tinged Nancy Chandler map includes a detailed map of Chinatown's delights.