Bangkok is the capital of Thailand , the city of angels. It is with him that you need to start your acquaintance with Thailand in order to be imbued with the unique aroma of the East, and remain forever fascinated by its magic.
Bangkok is the largest city in Southeast Asia, the center of business and cultural life of the country, where almost all administrative institutions and many international organizations are located. Bangkok looks much brighter than many Western capitals, skillfully combining sky-piercing skyscrapers and huge shopping centers with ancient temples, gilded palaces and emerald parks.
Luxurious palaces and temples, sparkling with millions of small mirrors, wealth, European gloss and poverty; narrow narrow streets below and high-speed modern flyovers at a height of 15-30 meters above the ground, huge streams of honking cars, policemen in gauze bandages, elephants and Buddhist monks in orange robes, fruits in incredible abundance and variety, spicy aroma of food, unusually tempting lobsters, oysters, rapanas, snails and squids in ice on the trays of open restaurants and street cafes ... All this can make a truly stunning impression on an unprepared person!
The main attractions of Bangkok are : the fabulous Temple of the Emerald Buddha and the complex of the Grand Royal Palace, the Temple of Dawn, the Temple of the Reclining Buddha, the Temple of the Golden Hill, the Marble Temple, the Viman Mek Palace - the favorite residence of King Rama V (1868-1910) and the largest building from the "golden "teak wood; exotic royal double-deck boats; The snake farm of the Pasteur Institutewhere venomous snakes are bred and poison is collected to make an invaluable medicine; the Jim Thompson House Museum, which houses a superb collection of Asian art; the glazed pavilion of Suan Pakkad Palace, decorated with medieval gold leaf frescoes; the world's largest crocodile farm; an open-air museum - the Ancient City, with an area of 200 acres; entertainment and health complexes; handicrafts; all sorts of cuisines and an almost legendary nightlife.
The best way to see Bangkok is to take a high-speed train tour from which you can see all the splendor of this sparkling city. Exotic areas of Bangkok - China and Indian quarters also attract a considerable number of tourists. Indian Quarter is home to the famous Sikh Temple , the second largest after the London Temple, while Chinatown is primarily famous for its cuisine. Many outlandish dishes can be found here, such as swallow nests, shark fins and Chinese black mushrooms.
Bangkok is called the "Venice of the East", and although many canals disappeared during the construction of the railway, you can still take an amazing tour of the famous Bangkok streets, get your own idea of \u200b\u200bthe past of this unique city.
Thonburi is a former satellite city of Bangkok, located on the west bank of the Chaopraya River. Here was the capital of the country in the period from 1967 to 1782. In this area, even now, one can imagine what Ayutthaya and early Bangkok were like in ancient times in the period when it was proudly called the Venice of Asia. To this day, an abundance of canals have been preserved here, and many local residents build their dwellings on stilts along their banks in order, as in the good old days, to listen to the splashing of fish and the rustle of water and to visit with their friends not by car, but by boat. It is in this area that the famous tour of the canals of Bangkok is held.
The Old City is the spiritual and historical center of the capital of Thailand. From here, its systematic construction began during the time of King Rama I. The main architectural monument of this area is, of course, the Royal Palace with the Temple of the Emerald Buddha , as well as the Temple of the Reclining Buddha - Wat Pho. Opposite the Royal Palace is the Main Square, where royal ceremonies take place, and not far from it is the National Museum, which contains masterpieces of Southeast Asian art.
Dusit is the quietest area located next to the Old City. Here is the Royal Residence, in which the royal family resides, as well as the Government House, the National Assembly - the Parliament of Thailand, the office of the Prime Minister and the famous palace of golden teak - Vimanmek. In the area there are places for recreation and entertainment, the Royal Running Club, Ratchadamnoen Stadium and Dusit Zoo.
Chinatown - the area is traditionally inhabited by ethnic Chinese who moved here at different times. Today, Bangkok's Chinese community is considered the largest overseas Chinese community in the world, accounting for about 40% of the city's total population. In Chinatown, there are several wholesale markets, Chinese shrines, in the appearance of which the influence of traditional Chinese religious trends: Confucianism and Taoism is noticeable, as well as the temple of Wat Traimit , which houses a golden Buddha statue weighing 5 tons. Adjacent to Chinatown is a small but very interesting area where a large Indian diaspora lives.
The business district has the largest area of all of the above. It is geographically located between Silom and Ploencit streets. Most of the offices of national and international companies, embassies of many countries of the world, as well as the largest shopping and entertainment centers of the city and the heart of the night Bangkok - Patpong are located here . Lumpini Park, located in the business district, is one of the city's favorite vacation spots. In the park, you can often meet both young couples in love and people doing yoga or Chinese therapeutic exercises. The name Lumpini comes from the name of the Nepalese town of Lumbini, where, according to legend, the Buddha was born . Popular places for shopping areshopping centers Siam Paragon, Discovery, World Trade Center, Central Chidlom, Gaizon Plaza, Emporium, located on Chidlom, Sukhumvit, Pratunam and Siam Square. In the immediate vicinity of Siam Square is the Pratunam wholesale market and the country-famous Panthip Plaza computer supermarket .
Getting to any of the districts of Bangkok is very simple, you just need to choose a means of transportation. The main types of transport in the city are buses (they cost from 4 to 15 baht per passenger in the city), classic metered taxis (TAXI METER), and the famous tuk-tuks ( three-wheeled scooters with passenger seats). In addition, there are two elevated and one underground metro lines that link all the main areas of the central part of the city, as well as inexpensive and very convenient at rush hour river buses that regularly run along the Chao Phraya River, stopping at numerous jetties as stops.
Millions of tourists and businessmen visit Bangkok every year. They are attracted by beautiful palaces and temples with Buddhist shrines, exciting excursions, parks with exotic animals and plants, vibrant nightlife and, of course, shopping. Numerous restaurants and eateries, bars, taverns and cafes will also leave no one indifferent. They widely represent not only national cuisine, but also the cuisines of almost all peoples of the world. Thais, for the most part, are very fond of delicious food, so there are never any difficulties with food in Bangkok, you just need to remember that sometimes national dishes can be quite spicy. Traveling around the city, you can quickly, conveniently and inexpensively have a bite to eat in small cozy cafes located on the territory of most large shopping and business centers. Most Bangkok shops, boutiques,
Life in Bangkok does not stop for a minute, even at night. A huge variety of restaurants with traditional Thai cuisine , all kinds of bars and entertainment venues for every taste will surprise every visitor. Shopping centers, shops and amusement parks, as well as comfortable hotels in Bangkok will provide you with a lot of opportunities to have fun. It is worth visiting this incredible city once to fall in love with it forever.