Bangkok - Thailand
From Travel Information and Popular Attractions: TravelName.com
Bangkok is not only the capital of Thailand but also the most popular tourist destination of Thailand. It is also regarded as one of the top favorite tourist destinations in Asia due to its rich culture, heritage, developments and places of tourist interests. Along with dazzling skyline, historical temples, shrines, shopping malls, restaurants, hotels and nightclubs, Bangkok tourism has something for every kind of tourist. Make sure to enjoy its mesmerizing nightlife including the various shows, pubs, night clubs or an elegant dinner cruise on the Chao Phraya River.
Bangkok, the city of gilded palaces and temples, offers a unique experience to each individual. It represents a fine blend of tradition and modernity with modern skyscrapers, air conditioned shopping malls, luxurious hotels to traditional temples and monuments depicting Thai culture and heritage. Bangkok tourism also offers a colorful nightlife with plenty on beer and gogo bars, cinemas and luxurious hotels.
Getting To Bangkok:
Since Bangkok is Thailand's main tourist attraction, most tourists arrive at Don Muang International Airport which has connecting flights to almost all the major cities around the world.
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Popular Tourist Attractions Of Bangkok
1. Chao Phraya River:
Cruising along the Chao Phraya River is one of the best ways of exploring the city of Bangkok and among the major Thailand attractions. There are several boat tours during the day as well as dinner cruises in the evenings, which give the visitors an opportunity to dine in luxury while watching the lit-up old buildings and beautiful skyline of the city. There are magnificent temples and architectural buildings on both the sides of the river. The Floating Markets here are also very popular among the Bangkok attractions and give an idea about the way people buy and sell things, especially when you visit Bangsai Floating Market, and Taling Chan. The Floating Markets are crowded with hundreds of vendors and purchasers floating in their small rowing boats selling and buying agricultural products and local food, which are mostly brought from their own nearby orchards.
2. Royal Grand Palace
Royal Grand Palace has many popular temples of Thailand. The grand palace itself is not lived in by the king but is used by on ceremonial occasions.
The palace is made up of smaller buildings, most notably the Wat Mahatat (the Palace Temple) and the Wat Phra Keow (the Royal Chapel), which houses the famous Emerald Buddha sculpted from a single piece of jade, and is one of the most revered Buddha image in Thailand. The Emerald Buddha is tiny in comparison to many of the Buddha statues in Thailand, but it is of immense significance. This is among the popular Bangkok attractions and should certainly be visited.
3. Chatuchak Market
The Chatuchak Market of Bangkok is truly a shoppers paradise, it is open only on Saturdays and Sundays and consists of more than 10,000 stalls stretching as far as the eyes can see. One can find anything in this spectacular market ranging from food , home accessories, trendy fashions to antiques, jewellery, gems and other precious stones. The Chatuchak Market is a popular Bangkok attraction that receives more than 100,000 visitors every Saturday and Sunday.
4. Royal Barges National Museum
The Royal Barges National Museum of Bangkok houses several ornately decorated boats with magnificently carved prows. Most of these barges served as war vessels at one point and can be dated back to 1357. Today, these vessels are only used is state ceremonies and special occasions, the barges were last used in 1999 to celebrate the king's 72nd birthday. Royal Barges National Museum is among the popular Bangkok attractions, since the barges here reflect the Thai history and culture.
5. Wat Pho - The Temple of the Reclining Buddha
Wat Pho is one of the oldest and most popular temples of Bangkok. It houses the massive "Reclining Buddha" along with over 1,000 statues of Buddha. The Reclining Buddha is a gold plated image of Buddha that is 46 meters long and 15 meters high depicting Buddha's passing into Nirvana. It is also the center of Thai traditional medicine, particularly, Thai massage, one of the most spectacular sights of Thailand and among the most popular Bangkok attractions.
6. Damnoen Saduak Floating Market
This popular Bangkok attraction is almost 80 kilometers west of Bangkok and is accessible by regular bus from the Southern Bus Terminal. It is an escape from the western style shopping malls of Bangkok into the traditional Thai culture revealing the centuries old way of life of the Thai people. Everyday, hundreds of vendor boats crowd the market area in the early mornings till noon. To see the attractions of this famous market, the best way is to explore by hiring a boat.
7. Bangkok Museums - Popular Bangkok attractions
Bangkok has several museums that are a must see for every tourist. The most popular Bangkok Museums are - National Museum, Rare Stone Museum, Philatelic Museum, National Gallery Museum, Royal Barge National Museum, Suan Pakkard Museum, Vimamnek Mansion Museum, Bangkok Doll Museum, Museum of Imagery Technology, Hall of Railway Heritage, Prasart Museum, Thai Human Imagery Museum, Science Center for education, The Khamthieng House, Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Anthropology Center, Jim Thomson's Thai House, Thai Life Permanent Exhibition Hall, Ancient City.
8. Popular Bangkok Temples
One of the popular Bangkok attractions is its temples that depict the Thai heritage and culture. Bangkok attractions consist of many temples but the most popular ones are - Wat Mahathat, Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaeo, Wat Arun, Wat Ratchabophit, Wat Suthat and 'The Giant Swing, Wat Ratchanatdaram, Wat Thepthidaram, Wat Bowon Niwet, Wat Indravihan, Wat Benchamabophit (The Marble Temple), Wat Saket and The Golden Mountain, Wat Trai Mit, Erawan Shrine, Wat Paramal Ylkawat, Wat Phal Lom, Wat Bang 0l Chang, Wat Pho Bang O, Wat Sao Thong Thong, Wat Suwannaram, Wat Si Sudaram or Wat Chi Pakhao and Wat Ko are popular Bangkok attractions. You will find temples throughout Thailand.
Other Popular Bangkok Attractions
Sanam Luang, Pak Khlong Talat, Democracy monument, China Town, Princess Mother Memorial Park, King Rama Royal Park, Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute, Dusit Zoo, Samphran Elephant Ground & Zoo, Safari World, Crocodile Farm, Snake Farm, Rose Garden, Bang Pa In Summer Palace, Bang Sai Royal Folk Arts and Crafts Center and Kanchanaburi are popular Bangkok attractions.
Transportation And Car Rental:
Since Bangkok tourism is world renowned, the transportation system is well developed and easily accessible. Renting a car is easy and several luxurious buses and taxi's are easily available. The new underground rail system and Skytrain now link most of the main tourist and business areas, allowing easy access to virtually anywhere in the city.
Car Rental:
Many companies like Avis, Hertz, National and Budget operate rental car operations in Bangkok.
You drive on the left hand side of the road. Speed limits signs are posted in English.
Climate - When To Go:
Bangkok tourism offers its visitors a hot, tropical climate with three distinct seasons, winters from November to February, Summers from March to May and Rainy season from June to October. December to February is the driest time of year and is the best time to visit Bangkok. Since it can get very hot in the summers, it is better to visit Bangkok in the winters.
Golf:
Golf in Bangkok is a major attraction for the Golf lovers due to the presence of some of the finest Golf courses here. Bangkok has several world class golf courses that are available for tourists to enjoy. Most of the good Golf courses are located in the outskirts of Bangkok and are easily assessable from the city center. However, it is recommended to get your reservation done in advance, especially on weekends and holidays.
Some of the popular golf courses in Bangkok are - Kantarat Golf course, Royal Bangkok Sports Club, Krung Kavee Country Club Estate, Royal Thai Army Sports Center..
Shopping In Bangkok:
Bangkok has a wide variety of shopping options ranging from numerous air-conditioned shopping centers to open street markets, making Bangkok shopping very popular. Silks, nielloware, lacquerware, silverware, bronzeware, pewterware, pottery, gemstones and jewelry and all types of handicrafts are particularly popular here. Bangkok is also popular for antiques, some very good Thai antiques can be bought here. Bangkok is a shoppers paradise, therefore one must keep one or two days just for shopping in Bangkok. No trip to Bangkok is complete without a visit to the Chatuchak weekend market which is the largest outdoor market, with approximately 10,000 stalls on 35 acres of land. The main shopping areas in Bangkok are Silom, Siam Square, Ratchadamri, Pratunam, Ploenchit and Bang Lamphu.
Top Hotels:
Bangkok offers a wide variety of accommodation options to its visitors, ranging from luxury hotels, business hotels to plenty of budget hotels. Some of the good hotels in Bangkok are - Grand Hyatt Erawan , Fraser Place Urbana Langsuan , Amari Watergate Hotel , The Peninsula , Pathumwan Princess , Saladaeng Colonnade, Dream Hotel Bangkok.
Due to the growing popularity of Spa, Bangkok Tourism offers a heaven of relaxation, releases stress and regains the inner balance. Most of the good Bangkok hotels offer Spa facilities to their guests with different massaging options and techniques.
Nightlife:
Bangkok tourism is not only colorful in the day but also at night. The Bangkok Nightlife is popular all around the world drawing a large number of tourists each year purely to experience the extraordinary nightlife and adult entertainment. There is a huge range of nightlife options with hundreds of clubs and bars, go-go bars, lady-boys, discos and dozens of pubs making Bangkok Tourism very popular. Patpong is the most popular nightlife spot and is full of go-go bars and beer bars.
Additional Information
Local Tourist Office
Bangkok Tourism Office:
1600 New Phetburi Road, Makkasan, Rajatevee, Bangkok 10310.
+66 (0)2 250 5500 (Bangkok) or www.tourismBangkok.org
