Bangkok Guide
Introduction to Bangkok
The headlong pace and flawed modernity of Bangkok match few people's visions of the capital of exotic Siam. Spiked with scores of high-rise buildings of concrete and glass, it's a vast flatness that holds a population of at least nine million, and feels even bigger. But under the shadow of the skyscrapers you'll find a heady mix of chaos and refinement, of frenetic markets and hushed golden temples, of dispiriting, zombie-like sex shows and early-morning alms-giving ceremonies. One way or another, the "Big Mango" will probably get under your skin.
Most budget travellers head for the Banglamphu district, where if you're not careful you could end up watching DVDs all day long and selling your shoes when you run out of money. The district is far from having a monopoly on Bangkok accommodation, but it is just a short walk from the major sights in the Ratanakosin area: the dazzling ostentation of the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaeo, lively and grandiose Wat Pho and the National Museum's hoard of exquisite works of art. Once those cultural essentials have been seen, you can choose from a whole bevy of lesser sights, including Wat Benjamabophit(the "Marble Temple") and Jim Thompson's House, a small, personal museum of Thai design.
For livelier scenes, explore the dark alleys of Chinatown's bazaars or head for the water: the great Chao Phraya River, which breaks up and adds zest to the city's landscape, is the backbone of a network of canals that remains fundamentally intact in the west-bank Thonburi district.
Back on dry land, shopping varies from touristic outlets pushing silks, handicrafts and counterfeit watches, through home-grown boutiques selling street-wise fashions and stunning contemporary decor, to thronging local markets where half the fun is watching the crowds.
Similarly, the city offers the country's most varied entertainment, ranging from traditional dancing and the orchestrated bedlam of Thai boxing, through hip bars and clubs playing the latest imported sounds, to the foreigner-only sex bars of the notorious Patpong district, a tinseltown Babylon that's the tip of a dangerous iceberg.