Bangkok Hotels and accomodation
The sprawling Thai metropolis of Bangkok is the largest political, business and cultural centre of South East Asia. Some sources also claim it receives the world's second largest number of tourists after London. Bangkok is the principal gateway into Thailand but also a major travel destination by itself.
Bangkok began as a small trading post and port on the Chao Phraya River under the medieval Ayutthaya Kingdom. The area has become the centre of Siam in 1760s, and the present-day Bangkok was reconstructed and made a capital in 1782 by king Rama I who gave it the official name which the Guinness Book of Records lists as the world's longest place name. It translates as "The city of angels, the great city, the eternal jewel city, the impregnable city 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 Vishnukarm." Locals just call it 'city of angels' for short.
For all of this Oriental flamboyancy, this description is true, as over the last two and a half centuries Bangkok turned not just into a dominant centre of Thailand and Indochina, but a truly global city. Its history has been punctuated by constant renovation of temples, palaces and monuments as it is the divine duty of the king to maintain the Buddhist religion.
Thailand was the only country in the region to avoid colonisation, and some years in the 1980s and 1990s experienced some of the world's highest growth rates. Bangkok's importance as a trading centre contributed to its development. The country's turbulent recent history, with numerous coups, was also largely unfolding on the streets of Bangkok.
Bangkok's population had grown tenfold since 1945, tripling after 1970, and now the urban area is home to more than 10 million people. While the majority of population is Thai, the increasingly vibrant and cosmopolitan Bangkok now has tens of thousands of Westerners and other expats. It is one of the largest cities in the world by area, and the urban sprawl spreads over several adjacent provinces.
The city enjoys tropical wet and dry climate. It is spread along the banks of the Chao Phraya River, and its numerous waterways gave Bangkok the reputation as something of Venice of the East. City authorities have recently installed higher banks along some of the canals to avoid flooding - the city is just above the sea level.
The skyline of Bangkok, however, is far from flat. There are hundreds of skyscrapers in the inner city, and hundreds more under construction. Many prominent hotels in Bangkok are housed in highrises and offer stunning views of the city.
Phra Nakhon district alongside Dusit hosts most of the Thai government offices, and many tourist attractions including Grand Palace, Wat Pho, the Democracy Monument, the Giant Swing, and Sanam Luang are also in this area. Obviously, many of the popular Bangkok hotels are located within walking distance of these landmarks.
The riverside district of Thon Buri is also historically interesting, with the magnificent Buddhist temple of War Arun located on the enbankment.
Areas such as Silom-Sathon and Asok have for decades been Thailand's business centre, and the Northern Corridor is an expanding business district with the famous Elephant Building highrise. Thai capital is one of the mainstays of Asian business where many domestic and international banks and corporations are headquartered, as the cost of operation there is lower than in most cities in the region. There are, incidentially, dozens of business hotels in Bangkok equipped with all the latest conference and communication facilities.
Shopping areas in Bangkok include Ratchaprasong, Siam District and Sukhumvit, the latter particularly popular with foreign visitors. In addition to the boutiques and malls of which Central World is South East Asia's largest, much of the Bangkok shopping is conducted on the markets some of which are located on the canals. Chatuchak weekend market remains a popular destination.
There are several large green areas in Bangkok. The grand Lumphini Park, opened in the 1920s, is used for ceremonies and symphony concerts. More recent Chatuchak Park and Rama IX Park are large and quite varied, with botannical, English and Japanese gardens etc.
Public buses are numerous, cheap, and operate on a round-the-clock basis. There are also several metro lines, water taxis and tuk-tuks operating in Bangkok. It should be noted that most hotels in Bangkok offer transfer services.
Practically all destinations in Thailand enjoy bus links with the capital, and many international destinations are also served by railroads.
However, most visitors arrive in Bangkok by air. Don Mueang International Airport (DMK), one of the world's oldest, has now been mostly replaced by the newly opened Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) featuring one of the world's tallest control towers. Bangkok is one of the top aviation hubs in the world, both in passenger and cargo traffic. Bangkok hotels near the airport offer cheap yet comfortable short-stay rooms.
Thailand's developed medical industry led to growth in medical tourism, and some hospitals offer services specifically to foreigners.
Bangkok's also famed for its nightlife. There are literally thousands of discos, music clubs, Thai and Irish pubs, karaoke parlours and go-go bars. Western-style cafes and clubs generally cater to the richer customers but cheaper and more down-to-earth pubs and bars are numerous though most patrons are local. Bangkok has the biggest gay scene in Thailand, perhaps in all of South East Asia, with hundreds of bars and clubs.
Sex industry is one of the reasons for Bangkok's notoriety. While prostitution is technically illegal, there are probably tens of thousands of sex workers in the city. Bangkok, however, is considered a relatively safe city as far as violent crime is concerned.
Bangkok has two daily papers in English. Asian Wall Street Journal and International Herald Tribune are printed in Bangkok. Some radio stations broadcast in English.
There are several major theatres, numerous modern cinemas and two major annual film festivals. Art scene in Bangkok is dominated by the local Rattanakosin style combining Buddhist and Western influences. Local painting is exhibited in several large museums and galleries.
Football, golf, bowling and horse racing are all popular in today's Bangkok, and traditional Muay Thai martial art also has sizable following. Kite flying is another traditional activity which many locals undertake.
Yet another tradition is the Thai massage, seen as therapeutic and highly soothing. Major Bangkok hotels offer Thai massage services to guests.
Thai food which is gaining popularity around the world is at its most authentic in Bangkok. It is served in restaurants and noodle stands, Pad Thai stalls and carts. Upmarket trendy restaurants, many of which are located at the four- and five-star hotels in Bangkok, would perhaps offer the safest options, as well as a variety of international meals. The range of options is for all tastes and budgets. Chinatown and Little India, naturally, provide great Chinese and Indian food respectively.
Some of the attractions in Bangkok include
- The Grand Palace is the official royal residence since 1782 and includes among its many treasures and buildings Thailand's most important temple, Wat Phra Kaew, housing the Emerald Buddha
- King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) and Queen Sirikit reside at Chitralada Palace which also has an exclusive school on its grounds; some of His Majesty's oil paintings are exhibited at the National Gallery Museum
- Wat Arun, Temple of Dawn, predates the founding of Siam and is famous for its central tower
- The largest temple in Bangkok is Wat Pho housing a huge reclining Buddha covered in gold leaf
- National Museum is housed in a former royal palace and comprises several majestic throne rooms
- Suan Pakkad Palace houses an extensive collection of Asian art, antiques and seashells as well as museums dedicated to traditional Thai dance and music
- Traditional Thai Puppet Theatre usually performs the Thai version of the Ramayana epic
Some of the traditional holidays that are boisterously celebrated include
- Thai New Year in mid-April which is the cause for general merriment and the main focus of Bangkok Songkran Festival
- Royal Ploughing Ceremony is an ancient ritual held in May to make the next rice crop abundant
- Trooping of the Colours is the annual parade of the colourfully uniformed Royal Guards in December, presided over by their majesties the King and Queen
- Thai monarchs who are revered by the local population have their birthdays celebrated, and all of Bangkok is magnificently decorated for the occasion
Hotels in Bangkok
Being a major tourist destination, Bangkok is abundant in all sorts of tourist accomodation, from the luxury five-star hotels of the big chains to modest backpacker hostels. Two of the deluxe Bangkok hotels, Peninsula Bangkok and Oriental Hotel, recently made it to top 10 of the Travel and Leisure magazine list. While the major hotels rarely come cheaply, they offer special deals and discounted rates depending on the season and other factors, and go4hotels.com would help you find the best rates for hotels in Bangkok.
There are also quite a few more personalised, smaller boutique hotels in Bangkok with services and amenities customised for discerning travellers. And last and certainly not the least, there are inexpensive, backpacker-orientated hotels in Bangkok's Yaowarat Road and Khao San Road.
Motels and hostels are not popular in Bangkok so the cheapest accomodation option would probably would be the unique Asian versions of bed and breakfasts, small houses in Phloenchit, Watthana and Khlong Toei.