Bangkok

It's worth putting up with the coronary-inducing traffic jams, pollution, annual floods and sticky weather to experience one of Asia's most exciting cities. Bangkok has dominated Thailand's urban hierarchy, as well as its political, commercial and cultural life, since the late 18th century.

Bangkok proper seethes on the east side of the Chao Phraya River and can be divided into two by the main north-south train line. Old Bangkok glitters in the portion between the river and the railway and it is here that most of the older temples and the original palace are located. The new Bangkok is east of the railway, covering many times more area than the old city. It incorporates the main commercial and tourist districts, which give way to a vast residential sprawl. 

For a city of this size, Bangkok is surprisingly full of quiet escapes. Just step out of the street noise and into the calm of one of the city's 400 wats (temple-monasteries) or take a river taxi on the Chao Phraya River. Must sees include Wat Phra Kaew and the Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Wat Traimit. This latter is the Temple of the Golden Buddha, home to the impressive 3m tall, 5 1/2-tonne solid-gold Buddha image. Silk entrepreneur Jim Thompson's House manages to avoid being a touristy nightmare by virtue of the singular vision which created this haven of traditional Thai art and architecture. An expert American, Thompson was a tireless curator and promoter of Thai culture until his mysterious disappearance in 1967. 


Other sights include the touristy Wat Sai floating market in Thonburi, a boat trip through the city's extensive and pongy network of canals (klongs), the Saovabha Institute Snake Farm and the renowned Oriental Hotel . 

Entertainment ranges from classical dance and Thai boxing to the unfortunate go-go bars of Patpong. For alternative night entertainment, check out the night markets behind Ratchaprarop Rd in Pratunam. Bangkok is a great place to shop if you don't overdose on T-shirts and fake designer clothing. It's worth stocking up on cheap clothes for your trip or getting smarter clothes for your wardrobe at home. 

Khao San Rd in Banglamphu is the traditional budget-traveller centre, but the Sukhumvit Road area has a better selection of mid-range hotels. Banglamphu and neighboring 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. 

As might be expected from one of Asia's major transport hubs, getting to and from Bangkok is harder to avoid than to engineer. All Thailand's major train and bus routes terminate here and this is a good spot to shop around for local and international travel bargains. Getting around Bangkok is a lead-lined lung and sooty-booger affair, with none of the desperately needed schemes to alleviate traffic congestion breaking out of air-conditioned boardrooms. River or canal journeys are infinitely preferable to road transport but increasingly, tarmac is the only option.

Bangkok's bus system is fairly easy to navigate, but its efficiency is hampered by the snail's pace of traffic (a zippy 13km/h average during commuter hours). Taxis are mostly metered and not too expensive, tuk-tuks (three-wheeled power saws gone beserk) are not much cheaper but have the perilous advantage of being able to weave in and out of choked traffic. Train is the best city-airport connection, taking only half an hour as against up to three hours by bus or taxi.