First-World shopping malls tower over ancient temples; endless traffic jams are bypassed by long-tail boats coursing along the royal river; roads lined with food carts are overlooked by top-notch restaurants and skyscrapers with some of the best bars in Asia. If it’s nightlife you’re after, Bangkok caters to just about every taste. And if shopping is your thing, this city will put you in a tailspin.
River pleasures
A cruise on the Chao Phraya River offers many of the city’s best sights. I’d recommend it as your first excursion to get the lie of the land and orientate yourself in this enormous city.
River cruises come in many forms. Most of them share a similar route, passing the many tourist attractions along the Chao Phraya’s historic stretch. Converted rice barges have a cosy atmosphere, while modern cruise ships offer welcoming drinks, buffet dinners and even Thai classical dancing.
But probably the most authentic are the long-tail boats which zip up and downstream. They’re colourfully decorated and their skippers are Bangkok’s matadors, driving their craft with daring and precision.
Wat Arun Temple
This is the most impressive temple in Bangkok and overlooks the Chao Phraya. In 1768, when King Taksin was planning to move his capital from Ayutthaya, he sailed down the great river, landing at dawn beside an old wat where he prayed. It was later renamed Wat Arun - Temple of Dawn - and is today one of the city’s most beautiful landmarks.
The temple gets its name from the Hindu god, Aruna, often personified as the rays of the rising sun. Although the temple has existed since at least the 17th century, its distinctive prang (spires) were built in the early 19th century during the reign of King Rama II. Wat Arun’s defining feature is its tall central prang - an 82-metre, Khmer-style tower encrusted with colourful porcelain.
Get there at sunrise when first light gives the temple a pearly iridescence. Sunset views of Wat Arun can be enjoyed from across the river.
The Grand Palace
This was the official residence of the kings of Siam (and later Thailand) from 1782. The king, along with his court and royal government, was housed within these walls until 1925. Although no longer a residence, the Grand Palace is still used for official events.
The royal precinct is made up of numerous halls and pavilions set in manicured gardens and around courtyards. Its asymmetry and myriad styles are due to its organic development.
Another reason for its sprawl, is the need for plenty of accommodation for the king’s harem. Until Rama VI decided one wife was enough for any man, Thai kings housed their huge harems in the inner-palace compound, which was guarded by combat-trained female sentries.
The palace’s largest structure is the triple-winged Chakri Mahaprasat (Grand Hall). Designed by British architects and completed in 1882, it displays a blend of Italian Renaissance and traditional Thai architecture. Don’t miss out on seeing the 45cm Emerald Buddha housed in Wat Phra Kaew. Carved from a single piece of jade, it’s said to be the holiest religious object in Thailand.
Wat Pho Temple
The Temple of the Reclining Buddha is the centrepiece of an 80 000m2 complex founded in the 17th century. It’s claimed that Wat Pho is the oldest temple in Bangkok, has the largest reclining Buddha and more images of the Buddha than any other temple in Thailand.
The astonishing statue is 46m long and 15m high and depicts the Buddha Shakyamuni at the moment of his death and ascension to Nirvana. The figure is modelled out of plaster around a brick core and covered in gold leaf. I found the Buddha’s three-metre-long feet most intriguing. They’re decorated with detailed patterns in mother-of-pearl that display the 108 characteristics of the Buddha.
Don’t miss out on exploring the courtyards, chapels and galleries that extend out from the main hall. You’ll find nearly 400 gilded Buddhas as well as some good sculptures and ceramic-encrusted structures.
Jim Thompson House
Born in 1906, American Jim Thompson was a larger-than-life character: entrepreneur, Thai silk magnate, art collector, explorer… and a spy for the West. Thompson fell in love with Thailand while working for the Office of strategic Services (predecessor to the CIA) during World War II. After hostilities ended, he returned to Thailand and devoted the rest of his life to revitalising the country’s silk industry.
Settling in Bangkok, he became interested in local handmade silk items and sent samples to fashion houses in Milan, Paris and London. Gradually he built up a worldwide clientele and a thriving business. In 1967, Thompson disappeared while hiking in the Cameron Highlands of Malaysia, a mystery that’s never been solved.
After his disappearance, Thompson’s elegant home was turned into a museum. The complex comprises various traditional wooden Thai homes that were dismantled and reassembled in their current position in 1959. Some of the houses were brought from the former royal capital of Ayutthaya; others were floated downriver in pieces to their current site. In a striking departure from tradition, each wall has its exterior facing inwards, thus exposing the wall’s bracing system.
A fine collection of Southeast-Asian art and Thompson’s personal belongings are on display in the main house.
Shop till you drop
As is the case with Dubai, many visitors to Bangkok put shopping at the top of their itineraries. There are countless opportunities to indulge, from floating markets and flea markets to shopping centres of behemoth proportions. Perhaps the best place to start is a traditional floating market where merchants paddle through congested canals in canoes laden with fresh produce to sell to shoppers on the banks.
Hire a boat from any pier and ask to be taken to Damnoen Saduak, the most famous and easily accessible of Thailand’s floating markets. It’s best in the early mornings before the crowds descend.This century-old market has become something of a tourist trap selling souvenirs. Beyond the market are residential canals that are charming and can be explored by boat.
Next, try the ubiquitous street markets, for which Bangkok is rightly famous. You’ll find just about everything your shopping heart desires, at a fraction of the price, but seldom the real McCoy. As for food, the streets offer a heady cornucopia. Until you’ve eaten on a Bangkok street, you haven’t really eaten Thai food.
Then there are enormous flea markets, such as Chatuchak, which can be somewhat overwhelming. Plan to spend a full day, as there’s plenty to see and buy. Get there early to beat the crowds and the heat. Once you’re inside the labyrinth of Chatuchak, it might seem like there’s no escape, but the market is arranged into relatively coherent sections. Use the clock tower as your landmark.
Last, you’ll have to tackle at least one of the gargantuan shopping malls. MBK is arguably your best bet. On any given weekend half of Bangkok seems to be here, trawling through the endless array of shops. Although you’re not going to find many bargains, MBK is certainly a convenient, one-stop shopping destination.
Ayutthaya day tour
If you’re finding the pace of the city too taxing, take a day trip out of town. Just 80km north of Bangkok lies Ayutthaya, the medieval capital of old Siam. It’s an enormous complex of ruined temples, stupas (Buddhist shrines) and pagodas.
Founded around 1350, Ayutthaya became the second capital of Siam after Sukhothai. Through the centuries, its location between China, India and the Malay Archipelago made Ayutthaya the trading capital of Asia. By 1700, Ayutthaya had become one of the largest cities in the world with a population of one million. Dutch and French maps of the period show a metropolis with gold-encrusted palaces and fleets of ships at anchor in its encircling rivers.
All this came to an abrupt end when the Burmese invaded in 1767, sacking the city and burning most of the buildings to the ground. The haunting remains are preserved in Ayutthaya’s historical park, a Unesco World Heritage Site. The ruins, characterised by prangs, palaces and monasteries, give you a glimpse of the city’s past splendour. Most of the surviving structures are civic, as those were the only buildings made of stone and could thus partially withstand the week-long bonfire. Wander among the endless ruins and marvel at the architectural prowess of the ancient Thais ; then it’s back to the steamy maelstrom of Bangkok.
Justin Fox was a guest of Thailand Tourism
Weekend Argus