Bangkok

Bangkok, Thailand

Dynamic, exotic and richly cosmopolitan, Bangkok is one of Southeast Asia’s most vibrant travel destinations. As a city of contrasts, this cultural epicentre entices millions of travellers each year to its bountiful markets, luxury hotels, stunning scenery and tantalising cuisine. Where ancient and modern coincide, Bangkok’s glorious golden temples and world-class skyscrapers await. Revel in the frenetic pace as you soak up the sights, shop until you drop then tuk-tuk around town for a zesty slice of Bangkok’s indulgent and risqué nightlife.

Population:

Approximately 10,500,000

Currency:

1 Thai baht (THB) = 100 satang

Emergency Numbers:

Tourist Police: 1155
Police, Ambulance: 191
Fire Brigade: 199

Opening Hours:

Shops are generally open Mon–Sat 8am–9pm. Banks are generally open Mon–Fri 9:30am–5pm except on public and bank holidays. Banks located in major shopping malls are generally open Mon–Sun, 7 days a week, 10am–7pm.

Newspapers:

Bangkok Post
The Nation
Thai Examiner

The City

To arrive in Bangkok is to be thrust into the pulsing heart of the Orient, a sprawling mega city encompassing 50 districts and six ever-expanding provinces. Truly, the engine room behind ‘Amazing Thailand’, Bangkok will amaze, dazzle and humble the most seasoned global wanderers with its exciting fusion of cultural, spiritual, historical and cosmopolitan charm.

Dusit is the political core of Thailand, home to lavish architecture and gardens, while Bangkok’s rustic ‘Old Town’ Rattanakosin holds ‘must see’ sights such as the Grand Palace, Wat Pho and royal gardens of Sanam Luang.

The city throbs and pulses with relentless heat and frantic pace, as tuk-tuks zip along concrete boulevards and Skytrains zoom overhead. Glitzy Siam Square carves the city’s commercial core with an array of shops, malls and boutiques - a true shopper’s paradise. Multicultural Yaowarat and Pahurat provide a feast for the senses, with the cuisine of Chinatown and flurry of Indian markets.

Sensational Sukhumvit Road roars at night with fine restaurants, bars and raunchy clubs, while the ever-indelible Khaosan Road area is a delight for budget travellers and revellers alike, buzzing with curbside vendors, stalls and wild nightspots. Known to the Thai’s as ’Krung Thep,’ South East Asia’s own ’City of Angels’ epitomises the East meets West tradition, where ancient trends blend and thrive with cutting edge sophistication.

Do & See

With a relentless array of sights, sounds, scents and tastes all immersed in a bevy of hidden treasures, Bangkok has an overwhelming variety of things to discover and absorb.

Dining

If nothing else, Bangkok serves as an epicentre of South East Asian culinary sensation, with endless cuisine varieties and flavours to boot. Tantalize your taste buds with a journey thorough Bangkok’s endless flurry of fine restaurants, delectable eateries and simmering roadside food stalls. Comprising the best places to dine with such a short list is an impossible task. However, here’s what each of Bangkok’s main culinary areas have to offer the gastronomic aficionado, with a sneak selection of some of the stand outs:

Cafes

Well known for its great selection of coffee beans and roasters, Bangkok offers a wide range of cafes. Don't hesitate to take a piece of cake to go with your tea or coffee.