Bangkok is without doubt truly one of the most exciting cities in the world. An intoxicating mixture of old and new, ancient culture versus modern sleaze, glittering skyscrapers next to crumbling slums. There truly is nowhere else quite like it and your first visit here is something you are always likely to remember.
As well as being an international hub for those travelling between Europe and Australia, Bangkok also attracts a great number of visitors in its own right, many of whom combine a few days in Bangkok with a beach resort. For good reason as the Thai capital is bursting with ancient monuments, glittering inexpensive hotels, great food and massive shopping malls.
For many the draw of the nightlife in areas such as Patpong and the willingness of pretty young Thai girls is also a major draw. I for one do not understand the contrast between drug use - which occurs despite the draconian punishments, and the open tolerance of a sex trade which involves a large number of very young girls. Whilst it is easy to avoid ping pong bars you will see plenty of aging fat western men with very pretty Thai girls and find yourself wondering how.
Bangkok is also full of scams, from fake designer goods to Gem "sales" there is a scam on every corner. It pays to be wise to this- on my first visit we made the mistake of holding a map and looking a little lost outside a MRT station. Within seconds a helpful local approached and before we knew it we were on a tuk-tuk on the way to a boat trip. Something we had planned to do but in retrospect this local clearly was waiting for people like us and was on commission from the boat company. As we waited on our boat other tourists waiting in line had fallen for the same trick. Although it ended up being not too expensive for what I can only describe as a rollercoaster in the middle of a bustling river, it is not a mistake I would make again.
Some of the scams I like such as the open selling of fake designer goods. Unlike other place I have been this is no limited to market stalls, there are shops and indeed entire shopping malls full of forgeries from Armani to Beats headphones. Sometimes it may be more difficult to find the genuine article as opposed to a forgery. One place I can recommend for fakes is the MBK shopping mall, an eight floor warren of designer fakes. Everything from designer handbags, watches, clothing and sunglasses, its all there. It also has one of the finest mall food courts I have ever seen. If you like me don't want to ruin your trip by risking eating from street food vendors then this is the place for you- street food prepared in far more sanitary conditions. There are a vast number of stalls selling just about every cuisine imaginable, and its all cheap as chips. I have eaten here on a number of occasions as can recommend "taste of Thailand by Chabba" if it is still there- just don't ask for a Thai spicy salad unless you really mean it, it brought a tear to my eye!
There are countless numbers of temples and shrines across the city although most people tend to visit the Grand palace, the temple of Dawn and the Reclining Buddha. Personally I would recommend visiting the Grand palace and Reclining Buddha and skipping visiting the temple of dawn- it looks better from a distance and compared to the other temples I found it difficult to get to and disappointing. Both the Reclining Buddha and Grand palace are large and extremely impressive complexes and take several hours to visit. My other main tip is to ensure you are dressed appropriately as this can save a great deal of time and hassle.
My favourite chef Rick Stein once said "it is impossible to get bad food in Thailand", and as long as you avoid western food chains I would agree with this wholeheartedly. The only bad meals I have ever eaten in Thailand were from western chains such as sizzler steak house- stick to local restaurants with good reputations and you cant go far wrong. Other than the MBK excellent food court I can very highly recommend the Sala Thai restaurant in The Shangri La hotel- it is one of the best Thai meals I have ever eaten.
In terms of hotels I have only stayed in two- the State tower at Lebua, and the Dusit Thani. In terms of the Dusit I had one amazingly good experience followed by a nightmare of a visit, as a result I would never stay there again so cant recommend it- despite its excellent location. The state tower at lebua was good and would recommend it, although I wasn't to keen on the area it is located in. There are some pictures below I took from our balcony. The only downside to the hotel is having to share a lift with party goers heading for the roof top bar made famous by the Hangover part 2, which is worth a visit for the amazing views.
There are a variety of good websites giving a whole host of information on Bangkok, I have included some links below:
Chao Phraya
The river is the lifeblood of the Thai capital and is alive with activity around the clock.
Lumpini Park
The Grand Palace
This huge and impressive complex is a must see attraction and if you only have time for one temple visit then make this the one. It houses the Shrine of the emerald Buddha one of the most sacred shrines in Thailand.
The reclining Buddha
As impressive and nearly as large as the neighbouring Grand palace, this large temple complex houses the Reclining Buddha. This complex is perhaps even more beautiful than the grounds of the Grand palace and I highly recommend a visit.
Temple of the Dawn
I would recommend viewing from afar at a good vantage point rather than actually visiting.
The MBK
Eight floors of designer fakes, flea market goods, restaurants and shops. Quite unlike any other mall I have ever been in- for a start I like it. Fake rolex watches, Ralph Lauren shirts, designer handbags and Ray ban sunglasses at every corner. The upper floors are laid out in a maze of warrens which seem to never end. A visit to the food court is highly recommended.
Food
This is a food blog after all!
Views of Bangkok
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