Bangkok Travel Guide

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City Introduction

Bangkok is one of Asia’s major metropolises, and here’s everything to expect from a real big city. This includes loads of shopping, a tasty cuisine, great entertainment as well as numerous sights, museums, monuments and much more. You will enjoy everything in the city streets and on the river Chao Phraya.

Bangkok’s grand temples and palaces are the most famous sights, with the Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Wat Arun at the forefront. These are must sees on a tour through Bangkok’s neighborhoods, and they are unforgettable with its unique embellishments, fantastic colors, Buddhas and everything else at each of the places.

Enjoy the tasteful Thai cuisine, which offers everything from rounded flavors to something so strong that Westerners get both tears in their eyes and sweat on their foreheads, worth trying it out. Seafood is a good choice, just as the fruits from the fertile and tropical thai countryside.

The surrounding area of ​​Bangkok also offers a wide variety of opportunities. Many people go to the picturesque historic capital of Ayutthaya or sail to the Bang Pa In summer palace, but there is also much else to see around the capital of Thailand, like the beaches along the Bay of Bangkok.

Top Attractions

Grand Palace, Bangkok

  • The Grand Palace & The Temple of the Emerald Buddha/Phra Borom Maha Ratcha Wang & Wat Phra Kaew: Bangkok’s Grand Palace and the Wat Phra Kaew Temple, where the Emerald Buddha is located, are among the world’s most remarkable building complexes. The buildings was commissioned by King Rama I, who in 1782 had succeeded King Taksin on the Thai throne.
  • The Royal Barge Museum: Already in the Sukothai kingdom in the 13th century, the Thai kings sailed in processions on the water on special occasions. The tradition continued in Ayutthaya and later in Bangkok, where the last autocratic king sailed in the beautiful royal boats in 1932. These boats can be seen at this museum.

Wat Pho, Bangkok

  • Pho Temple/Wat Pho: Wat Pho is a very large temple complex in central Bangkok. It was built during the rule of King Petraja of Ayutthaya in the years 1688-1703, making it the oldest temple in Bangkok. This is where the immense reclining Buddha exists. With 46 meters/150 feet in length and 15 meters/50 feet in height, the Buddha is the largest in the world of its kind.
  • Golden Mount/Phu Khao Thong: Golden Mount was built on the temple grounds of Wat Saket. The hill is Bangkok’s highest, and on top is a building with a large gilded chedi in which King Rama V installed a Buddha relic in 1877. There is a beautiful view of the city center from the hill.

Wat Arun, Bangkok

  • Temple of Dawn/Wat Arun: Wat Arun means Temple of Dawn, and the name is due to the beautiful reflections of the sun’s rays in the temple’s porcelain tiles in the morning, where the place is said to be most beautiful. However, it is also an unforgettable experience to watch the sun go down behind the temple silhouette.
  • Ananta Samakom Throne Hall: This is a building in the styles of Italian Renaissance and Neoclassicism, and the material is Carrara marble. The height of the central dome is 49.5 meters/162 feet and the building is 112.5 meters/369 feet long. It is Bangkok’s most impressive European-inspired building.

Other Attractions

Giant Swing, Bangkok

  • Giant Swing/Sao Ching Cha: The Giant Swing is literally a large swing set up in 1784 by Rama I to perform a ceremony for the god Shiva who swings in the sky. At the ceremonies, four people rocked up to 25 meters/80 feet in height. In 2005-2006 the swing was rebuilt with new teak, and the original one is now preserved at the National Museum in Bangkok.
  • Bangkok National Museum: Thailand’s National Museum is one of Southeast Asia’s most extensive museums in terms of size and depth of the collection. The National Museum is located in the former residence palace of the Thai royal family.

Chinatown, Bangkok

  • Chinatown: Bangkok’s Chinatown was founded in 1782 when Bangkok became the capital of Thailand. The King built the Grand Palace, where there were Chinese residences, and they were moved to present-day Chinatown. On and around Yaowarat Street you get the feeling of being in China. Here are Chinese street signs, shops and restaurants.
  • Traimit Temple/ Wat Traimit: This temple is known for its golden Buddha, made more than 700 years ago in the typical style of Thailand’s Sukothai period. The Buddha is made of solid gold, it is 3 meters/10 feet high and weighs a full 5.5 tons/12,125 lb.

Vimanmek Palace, Bangkok

  • Vimanmek Palace: This palace is built of teak wood and is therefore a special building due to its size. In 1982, visitors were allowed when Queen Sirikit established a museum for King Rama V here. Among the items on display are some of those brought by King Rama V from Europe.
  • Patpong: Patpong is Bangkok’s famous and notorious shopping and entertainment district for mainly lots of foreign tourists. The neighborhood consists of the main street Patpong 1, the parallel street Patpong 2 and sections of the streets of Silom and Surawong. A large night market and bars are some of what you can find.

Oriental Hotel, Bangkok

  • Oriental Hotel: Oriental Hotel is Thailand’s oldest luxury hotel and officially opened in 1876. Today, the hotel mainly consists of modern buildings, but the original wing from the opening is preserved. Danish HN Andersen bought the hotel in 1881, and he thought a luxury hotel in Siam was needed. In 1887 he opened the doors to 40 rooms in a category not seen before in the country.
  • Chao Phraya: A boat trip on the Chao Phraya River is a good way to start getting an impression of Bangkok. The river’s name means the river of kings, and several of Bangkok’s main sights are located along the river. There are plenty and easy opportunities to get out sailing, either on a cruise or with public transportation.

Siam Square, Bangkok

  • Siam Square: Siam Square is one of Bangkok’s main shopping areas. The Siam Square itself is a vibrant place with small and large streets with shops, restaurants and so on. There are a number of large shopping malls around Siam Square, and therefore it is a great place to experience the vibrant metropolis.

Day Trips

Bang Pa In, Thailand

  • Bang Pa In: The cozy Bang Pa In along the Chao Phraya River between Bangkok and Ayutthaya is the former summer palace for the Thai royal families. The best way to get here is on a rivre boat, as the kings did before. You can sail here from both Bangkok and Ayutthaya.

Ayutthaya, Thailand

  • Ayutthaya: The city of Ayutthaya was Thailand’s second capital, the main city of the Kingdom of Ayutthaya. It was frounded by King Ramathibodi I in the year 1350. Ayutthaya is one of the landmark cities of Thailand and included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. There are numerous temples in Ayutthaya with Wat Phra Si Sanphet and Wat Chai Wattanaram as some of the most spectucular ones.
  • Nakhon Pathom: Nakhon Pathom is considered to be Thailand’s oldest city, and its name also means the first city. Today, Nakhon Pathom is an important city for Thais, and it is dominated by the world’s tallest Buddhist edifice, the Phra Pathom chedi, measuring 127 meters/417 feet.

Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, Thailand

  • Damnoen Saduak Floating Market: A part of the traditional local trade in Thailand took place in floating markets. Today there is only Damnoen Saduak left of the country’s floating markets, and it is a great experience with a lot of small boats selling fruits and vegetables from the surrounding countryside.
  • Petchaburi: Petchaburi is a city that is the local capital of a province of the same name. Its name means the city of diamonds, and there are some beautiful things to see here. There are around 25,000 inhabitants in the city, not least known for its royal palace and Khao Luang Cave Temple north of the city.

Khao Luang Cave Temple, Thailand

  • Khao Luang Cave Temple/Tham Khao Luang: There are several temples in caves around Thailand, and Khao Luang a few kilometers north of Petchaburi is among the most impressive. The cave itself is like a large cathedral with light coming from above.
  • Hua Hin: Hua Hin is a modern and popular seaside resort, which is well-known by locals and tourists alike. Hua Hin’s location on the Gulf of Thailand provides a long sandy beach which is the center of the city’s activities, but there are other sights too.

River Kwai Bridge, Thailand

  • The Bridge on the River Kwai: The Kwai River is immortalized through Pierre Boule’s novel about a drama with the blast of the bridge on the River Kwai. The movie and the River Kwai March tune are also world famous. Today you see the new bridge built after World War II. You can also see the JEATH Museum, which tells the story of the so called Death Railway.

Shopping

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City History

The roots of the Thais
The settlement of present-day Thailand began in recent times by migration from China about 2,000 years ago. For many centuries, the area was characterized by smaller states and scattered governance.

However, during the period there were also major state formation; not least the Khmer Empire, founded in the 8th century, which covered most of present-day Cambodia and Thailand. The Khmer people, by the way, called the Thai people Siamese, which became the area’s name until the 20th century.

Ayutthaya and the former settlement
in the 13th century, Thai people were ruled from the first kingdom of the Thais, Sukothai, who, after a brief boom, was already a regional kingdom in the 1300s. Its power was increasingly transferred to the kingdom of Ayutthaya, founded in 1350 and ruled from the city of the same name north of Bangkok, founded as the settlement Thonburi in the same century.

Situated close to the mouth of the Chao Phraya River, Bangkok was strategically important for the trade routes and the Ayutthaya era was a period of growth for the country and for Bangkok. It was during this time that trade relations with Europe were established.

Bangkok became an important city already in the kingdom of Ayutthaya. It was located on the periphery and as an entrance gate, which made it suitable as a customs office.

In the 16th century, part of the Chao Phrayas race was straightened through the now central Bangkok, making the waterway to Ayutthaya easier. Foreign boats from Europe, for example, declared goods and passengers at the passage through Bangkok, where they also had to deposit guns before being allowed to sail on to the capital.

Western relations were created and strengthened during this time. The first visitors were the Portuguese who conquered Malacca in 1511. Immediately after their arrival and settlement of Malacca, they sent a delegation to the Thai king Ramathibodi II. Portugal gained trade rights after five years, and later in the century, the Netherlands followed as the second European nation to trade with the kingdom of Ayutthaya.

The fall of Ayutthaya
The heyday of the maritime trade in the time of Ayutthaya was during the latter half of the 17th century under King Narai. It lucrated Bangkok as outpost of the residence and government city up the river.

In 1664, the Netherlands had enforced an agreement on not least free trade, which caused Ayutthaya to turn to France for assistance in 1664. The French came to influence King Narai’s reign, which lasted until 1688.

In 1685-1687, Bangkok’s fortifications were substantially expanded with a new fort according to European model. Unlike the city itself, the fort was built on the eastern bank of Chao Phraya.

The fort was built with the guidance of the French engineer De la Mare, who was one of many Frenchmen in the city at the time. The French influence was great, and Alexandre, Chevalier de Chaumont, had been appointed King Louis XIV’s first ambassador to Siam.

French culture, medicine, religion and education characterized the community, but it came to an abrupt end with King Phetracha, who proclaimed himself king in 1688, sent the French out of the kingdom and soon closed Ayutthaya’s contact with the West. In that context, Bangkok’s fort was under a four-month siege, which was concluded with an agreement that allowed the French withdrawal. The fort was then demolished at the decision of the new king.

The following century, Ayutthaya was continually weakened, and in the year 1767 Burmese invaded the capital. They conquered and burned the city almost to unfamiliarity. Despite the fact that the Burmese were soon expelled from Ayutthaya, the capital was a ruin that was abandoned to rebuild.

The New Capital
After the devastation of Ayutthaya, the Thai military with General Taksin in the lead capital moved to Thonburi on the western side of the Chao Phraya River at present-day Bangkok.

To that end, Taksin became the new king of the country; a status he had until 1782, where he was deposed and replaced by Rama I, who moved his court and administration to Bangkok on the other side of Chao Phraya. The official founding of the new Bangkok was on April 21, 1782.

Bangkok was thus the country’s new capital. Rama I, who founded the ever-ruling Chakri Dynasty, considered Bangkok an easier place to defend against future enemies than both Ayutthaya and Thonburi, as the Burmese would have to cross the relatively wide Chao Phraya to reach the city.

A number of canals were excavated and subsequently used as transport routes in the new city; these are the so-called clones, of which there are still a few. You could thus sail around most of the urban area on the eastern side of Chao Phraya, and clones were also dug in Thonburi, so that the cities grew together.

The large buildings
As part of the development of the capital, Rama commissioned the large building at the Grand Palace and the Wat Phra Kaew Temple. The buildings were heavily inspired by Ayutthaya’s architecture and facilities, and the site became the kingdom’s new and impressive center of power.

In addition to these facilities as well as administration buildings for the state administration, the period up to the mid-1800s was marked by a tranquil development where the city did not seriously take steps to be the absolute center of the country that Bangkok is today; among other things, Northern Thailand was still ruled from Chiang Mai.

Throughout the 19th century, Bangkok and its population were repeatedly hit by cholera epidemics. In 1820, about 20,000 died of the disease, which again struck the city in 1849.

In the latter half of the 19th century, the construction of Bangkok was accelerated and the population increased. King Rama IV commissioned major civil works.

With the successor of the throne, King Rama V, further modernization and development of the city came, investing heavily in the judiciary and health services, among others, and a number of educational institutions were established.

During this time, a large part of the area’s agricultural land was converted to residential areas, and to cope with the subsequent pressure on the city’s infrastructure, many new roads were built, including on some of the canals that were filled up to the apartment. Bangkok’s first paved road, Charoen Krung Road, was opened in 1864, in 1893 the railroad from the city opened, and the following year the first electric trams ran.

1900s to the present
In 1932, Thailand’s current constitutional monarchy was established, and a number of new buildings of public institutions were founded. Chiang Mai also now became an official part of Siam, which remains the name of Thailand.

1932 was also the year in which Memorial Bridge was opened as a link between Bangkok on the eastern bank of Chao Phraya and Thonburi on the western side. The bridge marked a new development with a clear improvement of the city’s infrastructure.

During World War II, Bangkok was occupied by Japan, and the city was exposed to allied bombings carried out with B-29 bombers. The targets were not least the Thai capital’s railways and port facilities. On June 5, 1944, a Japanese military hospital and police headquarters were hit by bombs on a mission whose objective was the 1932 Memorial Bridge opened.

After the end of the war, the ruined buildings were quickly rebuilt, and the decades after World War II became a time of rapid development in the Thai capital.

On May 5, 1950, Bhumibol was crowned Thailand’s new king, Rama IX, and his reign is the longest among the Thai kings.

In the 1960s, Bangkok, like many other places in Thailand, was a refuge for primarily American soldiers during the Vietnam War, thereby emphasizing the city’s status as the region’s entertainment center.

The population has since exploded, and many high-rise buildings with housing and offices have been erected. The rapidly increasing population has led to strong growth in traffic, which for some years has been one of the major challenges of the metropolis. Some S-train lines and a metro have been built through the center, and this transport network is constantly being expanded.

In the 1980s and 1990s, Thailand with Bangkok as a locomotive experienced an economic boom period that became the foundation of modern Bangkok one encounters today. A host of newbuildings shot up; among others, some of the luxury hotels that tourists appreciate. The major Asian Games sports event was held in Bangkok in 1998 as one of the major events of the year.

After a downturn in connection with the economic downturn in the region in the late 1990s, development has now started again for the benefit of both locals and visitors. The population of the city of about 14 million throughout metropolitan areas testifies to the development since primarily the 19th century industrialization and the start of population growth.

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In short

Overview of Bangkok

Bangkok is one of Asia’s major metropolises, and here’s everything to expect from a real big city. This includes loads of shopping, a tasty cuisine, great entertainment as well as numerous sights, museums, monuments and much more. You will enjoy everything in the city streets and on the river Chao Phraya.

 

Bangkok’s grand temples and palaces are the most famous sights, with the Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Wat Arun at the forefront. These are must sees on a tour through Bangkok’s neighborhoods, and they are unforgettable with its unique embellishments, fantastic colors, Buddhas and everything else at each of the places.

 

About the upcoming Bangkok travel guide

  • Contents: Tours in the city + tours in the surrounding area
  • Published: Released soon
  • Author: Stig Albeck
  • Publisher: Vamados.com
  • Language: English

 

About the travel guide

The Bangkok travel guide gives you an overview of the sights and activities of the Thai city. Read about top sights and other sights, and get a tour guide with tour suggestions and detailed descriptions of all the city’s most important churches, monuments, mansions, museums, etc.

 

Bangkok is waiting for you, and at vamados.com you can also find cheap flights and great deals on hotels for your trip. You just select your travel dates and then you get flight and accommodation suggestions in and around the city.

 

Read more about Bangkok and Thailand

 

Buy the travel guide

Click the “Add to Cart” button to purchase the travel guide. After that you will come to the payment, where you enter the purchase and payment information. Upon payment of the travel guide, you will immediately receive a receipt with a link to download your purchase. You can download the travel guide immediately or use the download link in the email later.

 

Use the travel guide

When you buy the travel guide to Bangkok you get the book online so you can have it on your phone, tablet or computer – and of course you can choose to print it. Use the maps and tour suggestions and you will have a good and content-rich journey.

Grand Palace • Wat Pho • Chao Phraya • Buddhas • Wat Arun

Overview of Bangkok

Bangkok is one of Asia’s major metropolises, and here’s everything to expect from a real big city. This includes loads of shopping, a tasty cuisine, great entertainment as well as numerous sights, museums, monuments and much more. You will enjoy everything in the city streets and on the river Chao Phraya.

 

Bangkok’s grand temples and palaces are the most famous sights, with the Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Wat Arun at the forefront. These are must sees on a tour through Bangkok’s neighborhoods, and they are unforgettable with its unique embellishments, fantastic colors, Buddhas and everything else at each of the places.

 

About the upcoming Bangkok travel guide

  • Contents: Tours in the city + tours in the surrounding area
  • Published: Released soon
  • Author: Stig Albeck
  • Publisher: Vamados.com
  • Language: English

 

About the travel guide

The Bangkok travel guide gives you an overview of the sights and activities of the Thai city. Read about top sights and other sights, and get a tour guide with tour suggestions and detailed descriptions of all the city’s most important churches, monuments, mansions, museums, etc.

 

Bangkok is waiting for you, and at vamados.com you can also find cheap flights and great deals on hotels for your trip. You just select your travel dates and then you get flight and accommodation suggestions in and around the city.

 

Read more about Bangkok and Thailand

 

Buy the travel guide

Click the “Add to Cart” button to purchase the travel guide. After that you will come to the payment, where you enter the purchase and payment information. Upon payment of the travel guide, you will immediately receive a receipt with a link to download your purchase. You can download the travel guide immediately or use the download link in the email later.

 

Use the travel guide

When you buy the travel guide to Bangkok you get the book online so you can have it on your phone, tablet or computer – and of course you can choose to print it. Use the maps and tour suggestions and you will have a good and content-rich journey.

Other Attractions

Giant Swing, Bangkok

  • Giant Swing/Sao Ching Cha: The Giant Swing is literally a large swing set up in 1784 by Rama I to perform a ceremony for the god Shiva who swings in the sky. At the ceremonies, four people rocked up to 25 meters/80 feet in height. In 2005-2006 the swing was rebuilt with new teak, and the original one is now preserved at the National Museum in Bangkok.
  • Bangkok National Museum: Thailand’s National Museum is one of Southeast Asia’s most extensive museums in terms of size and depth of the collection. The National Museum is located in the former residence palace of the Thai royal family.

Chinatown, Bangkok

  • Chinatown: Bangkok’s Chinatown was founded in 1782 when Bangkok became the capital of Thailand. The King built the Grand Palace, where there were Chinese residences, and they were moved to present-day Chinatown. On and around Yaowarat Street you get the feeling of being in China. Here are Chinese street signs, shops and restaurants.
  • Traimit Temple/ Wat Traimit: This temple is known for its golden Buddha, made more than 700 years ago in the typical style of Thailand’s Sukothai period. The Buddha is made of solid gold, it is 3 meters/10 feet high and weighs a full 5.5 tons/12,125 lb.

Vimanmek Palace, Bangkok

  • Vimanmek Palace: This palace is built of teak wood and is therefore a special building due to its size. In 1982, visitors were allowed when Queen Sirikit established a museum for King Rama V here. Among the items on display are some of those brought by King Rama V from Europe.
  • Patpong: Patpong is Bangkok’s famous and notorious shopping and entertainment district for mainly lots of foreign tourists. The neighborhood consists of the main street Patpong 1, the parallel street Patpong 2 and sections of the streets of Silom and Surawong. A large night market and bars are some of what you can find.

Oriental Hotel, Bangkok

  • Oriental Hotel: Oriental Hotel is Thailand’s oldest luxury hotel and officially opened in 1876. Today, the hotel mainly consists of modern buildings, but the original wing from the opening is preserved. Danish HN Andersen bought the hotel in 1881, and he thought a luxury hotel in Siam was needed. In 1887 he opened the doors to 40 rooms in a category not seen before in the country.
  • Chao Phraya: A boat trip on the Chao Phraya River is a good way to start getting an impression of Bangkok. The river’s name means the river of kings, and several of Bangkok’s main sights are located along the river. There are plenty and easy opportunities to get out sailing, either on a cruise or with public transportation.

Siam Square, Bangkok

  • Siam Square: Siam Square is one of Bangkok’s main shopping areas. The Siam Square itself is a vibrant place with small and large streets with shops, restaurants and so on. There are a number of large shopping malls around Siam Square, and therefore it is a great place to experience the vibrant metropolis.

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