Bangkok travel guide: Travel tips, reviews, photos, & videos from real travelers.

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HomehunterReviews: 1
Posts: 0
Bangkok - City of Angels
09/19/2009
Rating
92%
Bangkok, Thailand
The Thai name for Bangkok simply translates as The City of Angels but written in Thai is the longest name for a capital city in the world (I'll have to get my wife to write it down for me when she has 20 minutes to spare!!). A must see is the Chatuchak market that is open every weekend. You can buy just about everything imaginable and then a bit more. The market is so big that it will take a day just to get round. Another insider tip would be to go to Wat Po (reclining Buddha) and afterwards walk towards the river and catch the ferry over to Wat Arun. The area alongside the quay before you get on the ferry has a dried shellfish market that takes your breath away - literally! Any open air market that locals use (Klong Toe is a great one) will give you a locals perspective on food buying. If you are interested in food or cooking this is a great way to experience Thailand - the mountains of chillies and exotic fruits and vegetables is truly mind blowing. Thailand is also known as the Land of Smiles (LOS) and after a visit to a market you will know why - Happy smiling
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jennypenny77Reviews: 2
Posts: 0
Bangkok adventures
09/05/2009
Rating
90%
Bangkok, Thailand
I don't think I had ever experienced the type of heat that I did on that first day in Bangkok. It was about 97 degrees but the humidity and the heat reflecting off the buildings made it much hotter... sticky... stifling. This did not deter me from venturing out for my first day in Thailand. I was very eager to explore a city that sounds like it might have been named by a 14 year old boy. I sat at an outdoor food stand and decided to have what I saw the locals eating for breakfast - hot soup. I thought, maybe they knew something I did not and although it was the last thing I'd decide to have in hot weather, I found myself pointing to the cauldron of boiling liquid and then choosing my noodles. I could feel the sweat dripping down my face as I sipped the hot spicy concoction. It was. like all street food in Thailand, delicious. I looked at a small map I had folded into my journal and decided on a couple temples to visit. My first stop was Wat Ratchanatdaram which was virtually void of other tourists. The temple had several floors with buddha figures lined peacefully throughout the halls and exhausted panting stray dogs and cats catching what little shade was available for a mid-morning nap. Outside the temple a woman and her young son sold amulets at a small stand. Upon the stand walked several tiny kittens and the woman explained to me that the monks at this particular temple took care of many of the stray animals in the area. Being a sucker for anything with a bit of fur and four legs, I bought an amulet and donated a bit of money for the care of the animals. Afterwards I wandered through the nearby amulet market, which had hundreds of vendors selling thousands of different types of buddha amulets, amulets portraying famous monks, and of course images of the King of Thailand. Everyone here loves the King - in fact, insulting him can result in arrest and a not so comfortable stay in the "Bangkok Hilton" or some other ironically nicknamed prison. And really, in actuality there is no reason to insult him as he is a stand up guy. The story I heard about him sounds much like the beginning of a fairytale. Apparently when he was younger, the King disguised himself as a poor man and went to live in the countryside among his people to see what their lives were like. Every Monday, most Thai people wear a yellow shirt in honor of the King. But back to Bangkok... By this time I had gone through 2 large water bottles and had made my way to the Grand Palace, home of the emerald buddha, which is one of the most sacred buddha images in the world. It is so revered, that only the king is allowed to touch it - and only three times a year, although I bet he could probably touch it whenever he felt like it - if he wanted to. Visitors to the grand palace are not allowed to wear clothing that exposes the arms or legs - which is disrespectful in Thailand, so I threw the light long-sleeve shirt I had brought onto my damp sweaty shoulders and rented a long sarong to wrap around my shorts... This made me sweat even more copiously than before, but I plodded onwards with another large bottle of water attached to my hand. The temple that houses the emerald buddha was quiet and cool inside with the smell of incense permeating every nook. I knelt down next to a woman who was deep in prayer, her hands and head bowed down to the ground. She turned to me and smiled and showed me how to place my hands together in a "wai" which is the way Thai people pray and greet one another. Then she demonstrated how I should bow my head down to the ground and bring it back up to the original wai position. We did this together for several minutes and I could feel this amazing spiritual energy all around me in the soft murmur of people chanting. I thanked the woman and quietly made my way out of the temple at which point a group of Japanese tourists approached me and began to snap my picture. I attributed this unprovoked amount of attention to the fact that they had probably never seen such a pale person sweat so much and felt the need to document this for future generations. I can picture them now showing their slideshow to friends and family, commenting wondrously on the power of Western sweat glands. The Grand Palace is filled with golden statues and intricate buildings with golden spires and mosaic tile work. it is truly an incredible work of architecture. At this time I decided to return to my guesthouse for some much deserved air conditioning and a bit of pad thai for lunch. That evening I sat outside at a nearby bar where I made friends with several other travelers who were spending their last night out before returning to their respective homes. By now, the sun was long gone and a breeze cooled the air just enough to curb the sweat but still melt the ice in our glasses. Therefore, we had to drink quickly. As we listened to the two -man Thai cover band sing a very creative version of "Sweet Home Alabama" that went something like " Sweet Home O My Baby" I reflected on my day and thought to myself... I could live here. At this point I had no idea that I would spend the next year of my life doing just that.
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IBleedWords
- Top member
Reviews: 9
Posts: 20
Making a Day out of Pottery Island
07/31/2008
Rating
100%
Bangkok, Thailand
Just on the outskirts of Bangkok, there is a quaint little pottery village called Ko Kret. My son and I were living in Bangkok and our dear friend, Sucharn, decided he wanted to show us around Ko Kret, It was a spectacular day! Meandering through the tiny pathways around Ko Kret, we enjoyed pottery ranging from thimble-sized containers to almost room-sized pots, as well as masks, jewelry, wall hangings, and more. The people in Ko Kret were beyond friendly and went out of their way to offer smiles and gracious service. We also enjoyed coconut ice cream, steamed bananas, and a boat ride. That day goes down as one of the best in my life!
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IBleedWords
- Top member
Reviews: 9
Posts: 20
Beautiful in its Own Way
06/13/2008
Rating
50%
Bangkok, Thailand
I still remember the smell—like rotten cabbage drifting in from the street. I woke up wondering why I had decided to pack up my life and move to Bangkok. Could I really live in a place that smelled like that? An hour later, I was walking down a soi near Ramkhamhaeng University to catch a water taxi to the city center. Passing my money to the woman perilously balanced on the side of the tarped boat, we blasted forward, slowing only as we passed a temple. People covered their mouths to ensure the brown water from the Chao Phraya didn’t pass their lips. But me, I smiled into the wind as we passed women hanging their laundry, children swimming, men hanging out on the porches, dangling their legs over the water, and university students perched, waiting for the water taxi to pull up. I’m reminded of why I love Bangkok.
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