Visit Bangkok by Tripmart
Just
under 14 degrees north of the Equator, Bangkok is a tropical metropolis that is
also one of the most traveller-friendly cities in Asia. A furious assault on
the senses, visitors are immediately confronted by the heat, the pollution and
the irrepressible smile that accompanies many Thais. Despite the
sensationalised international news reports and first impressions, the city is
surprisingly safe (except from some petty crimes) and more organised than it
initially appears, and full of hidden gems waiting to be discovered. The high
relative humidity and warm temperature favour the growth of tropical plants —
you'll find exotic orchids and delicious fruit everywhere. Bougainvillea and frangipani
bloom practically all over the city. Thai cuisine is justifiably famous,
varied, and affordable. Bangkok for many represents the quintessential Asian
capital. Saffron-robed monks, garish neon signs, graceful Thai architecture,
spicy dishes, colourful markets, traffic jams and the tropical climate come
together in a happy coincidence. It is difficult to leave with lukewarm
impressions of the city.
History
"Bangkok"
originally was a small village on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River. After
the fall of Ayutthaya in the late 18th century, King Taksin the Great turned
that village into Siam's new capital and renamed it Thonburi. In 1782, King
Rama I moved the capital to the eastern bank of the river at Rattanakosin;
originally the site of a Chinese community, who were moved outside of the new
city walls to Yaowarat. King Rama I named the city Krung Thep, as it is now
known to Thais and which in English is translates as the "City of
Angels".
The
full name "Krung thep mahanakhon amorn ratanakosin mahintharayutthaya
mahadilok popnoparat ratchathani burirom udomratchanivetmahasathan amornpiman
avatarnsathit sakkathattiyavisnukarmprasit" (กรุงเทพมหานคร อมรรัตนโกสินทร์ มหินทรายุธยามหาดิลกภพ นพรัตน์ราชธานี บุรีรมย์อุดมราชนิเวศน์มหาสถาน อมรพิมานอวตารสถิต สักกะทัตติยะวิษณุกรรมประสิทธิ์) is listed as the
world's longest location name by the Guinness Book of Records; an English
rendering goes like this: "The city of angels, the great city, the
residence of the Emerald Buddha, the impregnable city of Ayutthaya of God
Indra, the grand capital of the world endowed with nine precious gems, the
happy city, abounding in an enormous Royal Palace that resembles the heavenly
abode where reigns the reincarnated god, a city given by Indra and built by
Vishnukarn". The original village of Bangkok has long since ceased to
exist, but foreigners never caught on to the change.
Life
was taking place on the water; ordinary people lived on bamboo-rafts along the
the river, while floating vendors roamed the water to sell fruit and vegetables.
The only stone structures built on land were temples and palaces. In the
19th-century, Western powers incorporated much of Southeast Asia into their
colonial empires. King Rama IV and V felt that the only way to keep Siam
independent was to modernise the country along European lines. Traditional
canals were filled up and turned into roads. King Rama V moved the residence of
the King to Dusit and laid out that district's grand boulevards along European
lines.
Bangkok
really started to develop after World War II. The economic centre shifted from
the orderly planned city of Rattanakosin in an eastward direction, leaving
Bangkok without an obvious centre. Bangkok established itself as the driving
power behind Thailand's new role as a newly industrializing country from the
1980s onwards. Rapid economic growth has attracted migration from the
countryside, with millions of Thais moving here from Isaan to make a living.
This
rapid expansion turned Bangkok into one of the most cosmopolitan and happening
cities in Asia; but also ensured numerous problems. A wide gap has emerged
between those who profit from economic activity, and those who came to the city
from the countryside in search of work. Bangkok's seemingly never-ending
traffic jams continue as the new Skytrain and metro systems are too expensive
for the working class. Getting a break from the fumes in a park would seem to
be a good idea, if it wasn't that Bangkok having the lowest amount of green
space among all capitals in the world.
Addresses and
navigation
Addresses
in Bangkok use the Thai addressing system, which may be a little confusing to
the uninitiated. Large roads such as Silom or Sukhumvit are thanon (ถนน), often
abbreviated Th or glossed "Road", while the side streets branching
off from them are called soi (ซอย). Sois are numbered, with even numbers on one
side and odd numbers on the other side. Thus, an address like "25
Sukhumvit Soi 3" means house/building number 25 on the 3rd soi of
Sukhumvit Road. While the soi numbers on each side will always advance upward,
the numbers often do not advance evenly between sides — for example, Soi 55
could be across from Soi 36. Many well-known sois have an additional name,
which can be used instead of the number. Sukhumvit Soi 3 is also known as "Soi
Nana Nuea", so the address above might thus also be expressed as "25
Soi Nana Nuea". The extension /x is used for new streets created between
existing streets, as seen in Sukhumvit's soi pattern 7, 7/1, 7/2, 9, 11. Note
that some short alleys are called trok (ตรอก) instead of soi.
Bangkok
To
make things a little more complex, some large sois like Soi Ekkamai (Sukhumvit
Soi 63) and Soi Ari (Phahonyothin Soi 7) have their own sois. In these cases,
an address like "Ari Soi 3" means "the 3rd soi off Soi Ari",
and you may even spot addresses like "68/2 Ekkamai Soi 4, Sukhumvit
Road", meaning "2nd house beside house 68, in the 4th soi of Ekkamai,
which is the 63rd soi of Sukhumvit". In many sois, the house numbers are
not simply increasing, but may spread around.
To
further bewilder the tourist who doesn't read Thai, the renderings of Thai
street names in the Latin alphabet are not consistent. The road running towards
Don Mueang Airport from Victory Monument may be spelled Phahonyothin or Phahon
Yothin or Pahon Yothin or Phaholyothin depending on which street sign or map
you consult. It's all the same in Thai, of course, only the romanisation
varies.
And
if that's not confusing enough, most of the larger streets tend to change names
altogether every few kilometres. Sukhumvit is called Sukhumvit on one side of
the tollway (roughly east), but it becomes Phloen Chit just before you cross
Witthayu Road (aka Wireless Road) going towards the river. Keep going just a
few more streets and it becomes Rama I Road (or Phra Ram Neung Road) after you
pass Ratchadamri Road. But if you were to turn right onto Ratchadamri, in just
a few blocks you'll find yourself on Ratchaprarop Road (past Phetchaburi, aka
New Phetburi, which is called Phitsanulok closer to the river). Got it?
Fortunately,
there's logic to these name changes: most of them are neighbourhoods. It
wouldn't make sense to call the road Sukhumvit if it's no longer running
through the Sukhumvit area, would it? Thus, Sukhumvit becomes Phloen Chit where
it runs though the Phloen Chit area. It's when you're able to grasp the city in
terms of its neighbourhoods that it both becomes more navigable and more
charming. Likewise, Pratunam and Chatuchak are much more than just markets;
they're neighbourhoods, each with their own distinct character.
Related
to this last point, compass directions are not widely used by Thais to navigate
in Bangkok. That's probably because they aren't very useful; the city's
Darwinistic layout, the changing street names, the winding river, and the lack
of obvious landmarks all conspire to confuse your internal compass. Thus,
asking for directions in terms of "Is that west from here?" will
probably earn you little more than a confused look from a local. You're better
off to familiarise yourself with the neighbourhoods and navigate to and from
them. "How do I get to Thong Lo?" will get you there faster than
asking for directions to Sukhumvit Soi 55.
One
exception: the Chao Phraya River is the landmark in Bangkok, and many directional
references can be made as "toward the river" or "away from the
river". If you aren't too close, that is: since the river winds around the
most popular tourist areas, river references tend to be most helpful when
you're wandering farther afield than Khao San Road, Sanam Luang or
Rattanakosin. And wander you should.
Climate
Climate
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Daily
highs (°C) 32 33 34 35 34 33 33 33 32 32 32 31
Nightly
lows (°C) 21 23 25 26 26 25 25 25 25 24 23 21
Precipitation
(mm) 9 29 28 64 220 149 154 196 344 241 48 9
Check
Bangkok's 7 day forecast at TMD.go.th
According
to the World Meteorological Organization, Bangkok is the world's hottest city.
Located just 14 degrees north of the Equator, Bangkok is sunny at any time of
the year with temperatures over 30°C (86°F).
The
most pleasant time to visit is the cool season that lasts from November till
February. It is both the coolest and driest period — the Emerald Buddha statue
in Wat Phra Kaew even wears a scarf during this period! Don't think that's
necessary though — daytime temperatures still hover around 30°C (86°F), but it
does cool down into the lower 20s as it gets dark (lower 70s in Fahrenheit).
March and April represent the hot season, and hot it is — 35°C (95°F) on average,
but don't be surprised to see temperatures rising into the 40s °C (around 100
°F+). This is the worst season to visit Bangkok, so plan in a lot of
air-conditioned shopping mall visits and get a hotel with a swimming pool. Then
there's the wet season that runs from May till October. Expect massive
downpours resulting in floods all over the city, and spells of thunder at
times. It's not all bad though — the afternoon showers are actually a pleasant
way to cool down from the heat, and while they may last all day, usually
they're over within an hour. Extreme rainfall happens in September and October,
so these months are best avoided.
Whatever
season you're visiting, don't take the weather lightly — temple-tramping in the
middle of the soaring afternoon sun can be a challenge, so come well-prepared.
Dress lightly for the weather, but keep in mind that some palaces and temples
(notably the Grand Palace) have a strict dress code. Also be sure, and this
cannot be said enough, drink enough fluids! You don't have a reason not to, as
7-Elevens and other convenience stores are abundant in Bangkok and they sell
cooled beverages for as little as 10 baht. Locals get their water from
"reverse osmosis" purified water machines that fill up a one litre
bottle for 1 baht.
Films
Foreign
films were popular in Thailand from the get-go, but in the 1920s a local film
industry started to emerge in Bangkok. The most critically acclaimed Thai films
were produced in the "three waves" of the Bangkokian film industry,
the 1930s, the 1950s and the late 1990s/2000s, although films made before World
War II have unfortunately been lost. Predominant genres are action, historical
epics, romance and gay/transgender films, almost always intertwined with
elements of comedy. The following are staged (at least partly) in Bangkok:
Bangkok
Dangerous (บางกอกแดนเจอรัส เพชฌฆาตเงียบ อันตราย, The Pang
Brothers, 1999). The debut of the Pang Brothers, Bangkok Dangerous is a stylish
film about a hitman who finds love, and realises how his actions are hurting
good people.
Iron
Ladies (สตรีเหล็ก, Youngyooth
Thongkonthun, 2000). This film follows the true story of a men's volleyball
team that almost entirely consists of gay and transgender players. The team
competes for the 1996 national championships, and while the crowd loves them,
they are being judged by other teams and match officials.
The
Beach (Danny Boyle, 2000). Richard (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) is a young
American backpacker looking for adventure. In Khao San Road, he meets Daffy,
who makes him believe a beach paradise exists on a secret island. While not
necessarily a good film, it is popular among backpackers; besides Bangkok, some
scenes in this Hollywood production are filmed in Ko Phi Phi, a beach island in
Southern Thailand.
Ong-Bak:
Muay Thai Warrior (องค์บาก, Prachya Pinkaew, 2003). Martial-arts star
Tony Jaa's breakthrough film and an absolute must-see for those interested in
Muay Thai or fight choreography. Many places in Bangkok are featured, but don't
think Khao San Road is the underground fighting den as it is portrayed.
Bangkok
Traffic (Love) Story (รถไฟฟ้า..มาหานะเธอ, Adisorn
Tresirikasem, 2009). While it could be described as a typical Thai chick flick
aimed at middle-class Bangkokian women, it does give a good insight in
Bangkok's traffic hassle and transportation networks. The film's acronym (BTS)
refers to the Skytrain, which plays an important role in the film. The film was
released exactly 10 years after the official opening of the Skytrain.
The
Hangover Part II (Todd Phillips, 2011). American comedy film about a group of
friends (the "wolf pack") that travel to Bangkok for a bachelor
party. A lot of stereotypes are confirmed, but it is still a good laugh. Most
scenes of the film are shot in Yaowarat, Sukhumvit and Thonburi; the State
Tower in Silom is also featured.
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