The Grand Palace
No visitor should miss the huge
Grand Palace complex, which
boasts the country's holiest and
most dazzling temple, Wat Phra
Kaeo. Allow at least a couple of
hours for strolling around the
grounds.
Thonburi Canal Boats
Jump on one of the public
longtail boats that whisk locals
around the back canals of
Thonburi - a cheap and exciting,
if malodorous, way of getting a
feel for the city.
Jim Thompson's House
Legendary Jim Thompson, the
American who revolutionized
Bangkok's silk industry and
mysteriously disappeared in
1967, filled his teak house with
a stunning array of Thai arts,
crafts and oddities.
Chatuchak Weekend Market
For Bangkok's most exhilarating
shopping experience, catch the
Skytrain out to the vast
Chatuchak Weekend Market, where
you'll find six thousand stalls
and a bewildering collection of
fabrics, woks, jewellery,
foodstuffs, animals, ceramics,
lacquerware and more.
National Museum
The rambling National Museum
hoards a mammoth collection of
Thai art, taking you through the
full gamut of Buddhist
sculptural styles. Look out,
too, for the outlandish
collection of royal funeral
chariots.
Thai Boxing
Attend a traditional Thai boxing
match - sessions are staged
nightly, complete with live
orchestral accompaniment and
frenetic ringside betting, in
the capital's two national
stadiums.
Alms Giving at Wat
Benjamabophit
Get up early to catch Wat
Benjamabophit's saffron-robed
monks lined up before the
gleaming marble temple, bowls
extended to receive the ritual
offerings of food, drink and
sundry alms.
Chinatown
The narrow, crowded alleys of
Bangkok's Chinatown are packed
with intriguing bazaars selling
everything from quivering fish
heads to paper funeral art. This
is also where you'll find the
world's largest solid-gold
Buddha.
Thai Massage
Put your body through the works
with a traditional Thai massage
at Wat Po, considered to be the
country's most distinguished
teaching centre of this ancient
art.
Hemlock
Feast on unusual Thai dishes -
such as banana-flower salad and
stuffed wild tea leaves - at
Hemlock, a charming
restaurant in the Phra Athit
area of Banglamphu that's
popular with students and other
young penniless trendies.
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