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As in all the images made, there is a fund of truth in these words. Bangkok is what you want to be. It could be a den of immorality if we are interested in fake products, stripteases or something more hard core. It can be a spiritual site with dozens of temples scattered throughout the city, with the characteristic monks in orange robes and shaved heads. It may still be a modern Asian megacity, similar to Singapore and Hong Kong. It can still be the Backpackers' capital city or a place for those who like to eat well!
Bangkok opens the doors to one of the most attractive regions for those who start to make great trips: Southwest Asia, and more specifically Thailand. Its friendly people, prices, paradisiacal beaches, food of different flavours and exotic culture make this area of the globe one of the easiest and most desirable places to travel.
With so much to see, not only in Thailand but throughout the region, the time reserved for Bangkok is not always well deserved. But in the brief passage that travellers make to the Thai capital, there are certain things that are mandatory, to get to know the capital well Here is my top 10
Royal Palace
The Royal Palace complex is arguably the biggest tourist attraction in Bangkok. Crowds of tourists, vendors at the door, taxi drivers, all prove this. Above all, it is the grandeur of this place that, more than a royal palace, is a complex of temples, golden domes, stone and golden Buddhas, statues of warriors that protect this site from a trait architecture Oriental laden, but pleasant.
What pho
Although the Royal Palace is the largest temple complex in Bangkok, the largest and most impressive Buddha remains right in What Pho. Located not far from the Royal Palace, it is in this temple that we will find the giant golden Buddha lying down. The size of the lord is imposing, being a real challenge to capture it in a trustworthy photo of the real immensity.
Boat trip
One thing that evens one who spends a day or two in Bangkok notices immediately is the infernal traffic of the city. One of the best ways to avoid it is, which make regular runs along the banks of the Cha Phraya River. As well as being convenient, especially for those who travel between the Backpackers area on Khao San Road, the Temples and Chinatown area, this boat trip offers incredible views on both sides of Bangkok with its skyscrapers and temples and all Activity along the river. For those who have a little more time, it is possible to take a private boat tour through the narrower canals of Bangkok, on the side of Thon Buri, where you can observe closely the daily life of people who live right by the river.
Chinatown
Bangkok began as village of Chinese merchants, having only become capital of Thailand in 1767, when the seat of government moved from Ayutthaya, north of Bangkok. It is not surprising, then, that there is still a large Chinese community today, and that, as in many cities around the world, it is grouped together in a China Town, characterized by the great luminous panels in Neon, bizarre shops, and all the shambles and exoticism of a Chinese neighbourhood . Losing yourself through the narrow alleyways during the day and going to dinner at one of the many Chinese restaurants in the evening is certainly of the things to do in Bangkok
Khao San Road
If there is a place in the world that can be considered the Mecca of Backpackers, then this place is Khao San Road. Here we can find anything and everything for backpackers, from sleeping for almost nothing, drink by little, and food for nothing! There are massages, travel agencies, copies of books, music and movies, backpacks and counterfeit clothing at the prices we can bargain. There are still driving licenses, student cards, no questions asked. There is above all a lot of partying in the evening when all the travellers return from their excursions to Bangkok and surroundings and want to party, properly accompanied by the Thais who come to this area with a hectic and intoxicating environment. To not lose!
Pat Pong Market
The Pat Pong Market's reputation for the world is fake Rolex and Ping Pong shows. (Ping Pong? Well, do not go into too many graphic details, imagine a strip tease bar turned into a kind of circus where girls perform all sorts of tricks with their ...) If there is a place that puts the decadent in Bangkok Is this (although there are others clear!). But it is obligatory part of who comes to this city for the first time, even if it is to do some shopping! (Attention, this is the place where you have to haggle aggressively.) At an initial price of 1000 you answer 100, and then go away, to get a sense of the true price, when being pursued by the seller with successively lower prices!)
Downtown Bangkok
The Siam Centre or any other modern shopping centre is a good place to realize how Bangkok, alongside the old, poorer, more traditional, more touristy part of it, is a major world city in its own right, and that the Bangkokians May be modern, elegant and that in many things life here is not much different in a large Western city. To get in touch with this world, just take the MRT and above all the Sky Train (the surface metro, which crosses the city on a continuous bridge) and go towards the modern center of Bangkok, the Siam area, where you can enter In the Siam Center or in Central World, two giant shopping centers, with the best known and good world brands stores, people watching and shopping, if budget allows.
Chatuchak Market
Named the largest open-air market in the world, Chatuchak is a weekend market, all day long, offering everything from clothing designers, fake goods, furniture, decor, souvenirs, pets ... all! Count on a good day if you want to explore it fully, although at the end of a few hours you will certainly be exhausted! Ideally select in advance what you want to see, come in the morning, as early as 10am, and take a break for lunch in the excellent Or Tor Kor market.
Sirocco Sky bar
Thailand is a trendy destination for honeymoons, offering paradisiacal beaches, with an excellent range of hotels at reasonable prices (compared to Maldives for example). For honeymooners, or for travellers wishing to try a little more luxuries, a place to go for a drink is the Sky Bar, the bar at the top of Hotel Leboa, with an incredible view of the city, in a clearly chic setting Although very touristy. Prices of drinks very expensive, with a restaurant with prohibitive prices; But for a party occasion, why not!
Sofitel So Bangkok Pool
Another place to taste the Luxury Bangkok is the swimming pool of the Sofitel So Bangkok Hotel. With incredible views under the skyscraper line and under Lumpini Park, the Lung of the City, this is a swimming pool suspended under the hotel's terrace, with a modern, fashionable decor, with a super cosy and welcoming atmosphere. For 700 Bahts per person, it's a small price to pay for a taste of luxury.
