General Information

Bangkok is one of Asia 's most cosmopolitan cities. Created as the Thai capital in 1782 by the first monarch of the present Chakri dynasty, Bangkok is a national treasure house and Thailand 's spiritual, cultural, political, commercial, educational and diplomatic centre.

Bangkok exceeds 1,500 square kilometres in area and is home to one-tenth of the country's population. Major tourist attractions include glittering Buddhist temples, palaces, timeless Venice of the East canal and river scenes, classical dance extravaganzas, and numerous shopping centres.

Wat Ratchaburana

This temple is located at the foot of the Rama I Memorial Bridge on the Bangkok side. Built in the late Ayutthaya period by a Chinese merchant, it is otherwise known as Wat Liap and is one of the 3 principal temples of the capital which include Wat Ratchaburana, Wat Ratchapradit and Wat Mahathat. It had been regularly restored since the reign of King Rama I through to the reign of King Rama VII, except in the sixth reign. Some of the temples principal buildings, especially Phra Ubosot the ordination hall which houses mural paintings by Khrua In Khong, were badly damaged by bombing during World War II. The buildings were later restored to their good condition as they appear today.

The temple was built during the Ayutthaya period and was originally called Wat Makok after the name of the local village Tambol Bangmakok. It means " Village of Olives ". The location of the temple is in the area that used to be occupied by the palace of King Taksin who re-established the Siamese Kingdom after the fall of Ayuttaya more than two hundred years ago. The main Buddha image is believed to have been designed by King Rama II.

Founded during the 16th century, Wat Pho is most famous for the golden reclining Buddha that measues 46 metres and has feet inlaid with mother-of pearl. This is the main attraction that draws visitors to the temple. In more modern times, Wat Pho has gained international recognition as a meditation centre and for the traditional Thai massage that is both practiced and taught here.

The National Museum

The National Museum , located on the opposite side of Sanam Luang to The Grand Palace, was established in 1887 by King Rama V. The foundation collection was previously stored at The Grand Palace. New buildings were constructed in 1967 and other historical buildings relocated to the museum grounds.

The Buddhaisawan Chapel was built in 1787 to enshrine a revered northern Buddha image called Phra Buddha Si Hing. The interior has exceptional murals, while the building itself is a fine example of Rattanakosin religious architecture.

Since the founding of Bangkok as the Nations capital by King Rama I, The Grand Palace has been the major architectural symbol of The Thai Royal Family. In the present time, The Grand Palace is used for ceremonial purposes. The main buildings within the Grand Palace compound were built for King Rama V, who was the first Thai King to travel to Europe .

Phra Thinang Chakri Maha Prasat, built in 1877 by King Rama V as his Royal Residence, is the most highly recognized architectural landmark of the Nation. The central Throne Hall, which was formerly used for the reception of foreign envoys, is flanked by reception areas decorated with galleries of portraiture. The central room on the second floor is used as a shrine for the reliquary ashes of Kings Rama IV, Rama V, Rama VI, Rama VII and Rama VIII.

This 170 acre park offers many opportunities for fun and excitement as you get close to wild animals roaming free or see others performing tricks.

The main attraction is as the name says traveling through the open spaces where wild animals can be seen in their natural habitat from the windows of a tour coach or your own car. The journey is 8 kilometres and takes about 45 minutes. On the way you will have close encounters with rare and endangered species. One highlight you should not miss is feeding time for the lions and tigers. There are many animals in the underwater world too. Some are very playful and mischievous. They will split your sides with laughter as the sea lions and their friends perform in the Sea Lion Show at Lighthouse Cove.

This is paradise for bargain hunters. Every Saturday and Sunday, 9,000 individual booths are open selling an infinite variety of goods. There is just about everything that bargain hunters, home makers, pet lovers or just browsers can imagine.

Handicrafts are every where including pottery, hand-made glass models of the Royal Barges, fluffy toys, colourful tropical fish, singing birds puppies of many breeds, furniture and lots of new and second hand clothing, shoes, handbags, belts.

This is the major shopping area of Bangkok . It is very popular with tourists and Thais, particularly young, fashion-conscious Thai girls. The area started to develop around Siam Square in the late sixties when Chulalongkorn University utilized its land bank adjacent to the university.

The Central World Plaza is the largest complex in this area and the site for Bangkoks New Year Countdown celebrations.

The Suan Lum Night Bazaar is a great place for an inexpensive night out that offers fabulous shopping, restaurant or food court dining, live entertainment and a superb choice of beers.

The shopping area is well laid out with neat streets lined on both sides with shops selling clothes, handicrafts, souvenirs, and a myriad of other items. There are alleyways between the main streets, which are crammed with smaller stalls offering great bargains.

Spread throughout the complex, are many restaurants and bars. The range of cuisine is quite extensive including Thai and Chinese seafood, Indian, Japanese and German.