Attractions in and around Bangkok

Welcome to Bangkok! If New York City is known as "the city that never sleeps" in the United States, well in South East Asia it's twin sister is Bangkok, also known as KrungThep to the locals, which means "City of Angels". KrungThep is actually an abbreviated version of its full name, which has the world's longest name, according to Guiness Book of Records. 



Remember that song "One night in Bangkok"?!



Well, one night simply isn't enough! You'll definitely want to stay here longer than just one night, perhaps a week, or even a month if you can spare the time. I spent 3 days before the Thailand Open in Pattaya and I am dreaming to come back again and again.

Bangkok is an intoxicating mix of aromas, sights and visual delights. A city of infinite layers...

The city currently ranks 17th in the world for having the tallest buildings, and with the Thai's belief and inner quest to "reach out to the gods",
there are more than one thousand skyscrapers in the city!

For those in the know, there is a quick and convenient way to travel around Bangkok, which is both cool and cost-effective: Skytrain. You can easily avoid the legendary Bangkok's traffic, as well as seeing many of Bangkok's weird and wonderful sights simply by riding on the Skytrain and gazing out the window.

Working on my brown coconut sugar...:)
It has a nice caramel flavour.

Floating market

It may just be another commercial avenue for tourists to spend their dollars, but if you go to the floating market early in the morning when the "river-folk" are actually buying and selling goods mindless of the tourists, then it's a very good cultural experience.

Exotic fruits
You can also see the famous (or infamous) Durian!

Durian, king of fruits, is a controversial fruit, with strong pungent odor that makes it banned in most hotels and restaurants. Everybody says: "Smells like hell, tastes like heaven!"
I would rather say it's like eating gym socks. Well, not according to almost the entire population of Thailand, who worship this fruit like it's god-sent. There's durian cake, durian ice-cream, durian drink,- and I'm not surprised- durian perfume! Anyone tasted this most divisive of all fruits? You either love it with all your heart, or hate it with all your nose:) 

Well on the tourist trail after the Bond films, the trip to the famous floating market at Damnoen Saduak is still worth doing. Totally chaotic, small 'klongs' or canals are filled with small flat boats jockeying for position, expertly paddled by mature ladies ready to stop and bargain at a moment's notice. It's colourful, noisy, totally touristy but great fun.


Market on the...railway!!!

What makes Meklong Market so special? A train runs through it 8 times a day - literally!

Chao Phraya River in Bangkok and its tipical Thai houses,
built on pillars to fight the floods.

Temples and palaces

The Grand Palace (Thai: พระบรมมหาราชวัง, Phra Borom Maha Ratcha Wang) is a complex of buildings in Bangkok, Thailand. It served as the official residence of the Kings of Thailand from the 18th century onwards.

If there is one must-see sight that no visit to Bangkok would be complete without, it's the dazzling, spectacular Grand Palace, undoubtedly the city's most famous landmark. I simply couldn't believe my eyes!

Shopping break:) Another market - night market! 

Shopping is the Thai's national past time and wherever you are in Bangkok, you will never run out of shops to explore. You'll find practically everything in this City Of Angels and at very reasonable prices.

Shop till you drop!

More temples

Wat Pho, is the largest temple in Bangkok and famed for its huge and majestic reclining Buddha, measured 46 metres long and covered in gold leaf.

Wat Arun (The Temple of Dawn)

Wood carving

Buddhist monks 

Ayutthaya


Ayutthaya was the capital city of the Thai kingdom of Ayutthaya and one of the world's largest and most sophisticated cities until it was sacked by the Burmese in 1756.
Today, Ayutthaya is one of Thailand's greatest historical treasures, with abundant evidence of its former grandeur.

If you are travelling in Thailand for any length of time, there is one iconic image that you may see crop up time and again on postcards and in guide-books. The photograph of a Buddha head entwined within the roots of a tree is one of the most recognisable images from Thailand.

Thai cuisine


You've had Thai food in your country and I'm sure it's good; but Thai food cooked in Thailand, is in my opinion, just heavenly! Just be sure to know the words, Mai Pet ( My Pet ). This means not spicy in Thai, but you'll probably be wondering how hot the spicy dishes are after you've bit into your first chilli!

Food is one of the reasons many tourists flock to Thailand. Not only for its affordability, but because the Kingdom's exotic cuisine offers an unrivaled culinary experience that is internationally famous for its distinctive flavours. Food is as much an integral part of Thai culture as traditional Thai massage, tuk-tuks and saffron-robed monks...

Tom Yum Kung: perhaps one of the most famous dishes in Thai cuisine. 

In a city like Bangkok, you don't have to walk very far to find something to eat; food carts can be found on almost every street corner, at pavement eateries with fold-up tables and chairs, and in the smallest of sois (streets). In fact, the smell of food is omni-present in this sprawling metropolis, which is home to more than ten million people.

Food stalls on the streets of Bangkok can look a little intimidating to foreigners, but they provide convenient, delicious and cheap meals to the locals. 

After all these experiences...How can I not love Bangkok?!