Welcome to Bangkok

BUDDHISM

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Thai tranquillity comes from a supreme tolerance of others. This stems in large part from the practice of Theravada Buddhism, which 92 percent of the nation professes. Buddhism is a spiritual tradition that focuses on personal spiritual development and the attainment of a deep insight into the true nature of life. It teaches acceptance of the vagaries of life. This, coupled with a strong belief in sanuk (a concept loosely translated as 'fun'), gives Thais a sense of joie de vivre. It may sound trite, but look at a group of Thais and invariably you will see them laughing together.

At some point, almost every Buddhist man spends at least a week, sometimes more, as a monk. In the monastery, he learns the tenets of his religion and meditates on ways of improving himself. By ancient tradition, women cannot be ordained as monks (although some women shave their heads and don white robes to become lay nuns). Thus, a monk makes merit not only for himself, but for his mother and his sisters, thus ensuring that they will be re-born into a higher plane of existence in their next life.

Buddhist tolerance extends to the other faiths. Mosques, Chinese V Mahayana Buddhist temples, Christian churches, and Sikh and Hindu temples stand side by side with Buddhist wat (temples). These are testament to the open worship of all religions, a freedom granted not just by the constitution, but accepted as a fact of life.

THE PEOPLE OF BANGKOK

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"Land of smile"

It is the people of Bangkok who infuse its bland concrete enclaves with energy and personality. The Thais' graciousness and charm give a vital dimension to a visit; often it is their smiles that are indelibly imprinted on a visitor's memory long after they return home. Who are these people and where did they come from? Discounting the prehistoric tribes who mysteriously disappeared, it is thought that the Thais originated in China and moved south from the 10th century onwards. Whatever their origins, Thai blood was augmented by infusions of Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laotian, Mon, Burmese, Malay, Japanese, Indian and even Persian, whose features are visible in many faces today.

The most prominent ethnic group, the Chinese, have managed to retain much of their original culture, and yet even these people have been rapidly absorbed into the Thai fabric. Thailand is rare among Asian countries in having avoided class, ethnic, religious, or civil wars. A strong Thai sense of identity and independence has also helped the country avoid colonisation by foreign powers. In 1939, the country's name was changed from 'Siam' to 'Thailand' as a recognition of this strong sense of identity.

WAT ARUN AND WAT PO

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WAT ARUN

Experience a sunrise from the Fhra Buddha Yodfa Bridge and the city's best fresh produce market, Phak Khlong Talad; after breakfast visit a flower market; take a ferry across the river to see Wat Arun then return to Wat Po for a wander and a Thai massage.

Take a taxi to the foot of the bridge; from there walk the rest of this itinerary, taking the canal boats across the river at the relevant times.

WAT ARUN

Sunrise over the city skyline and the river is best experienced at the Phra Buddha Yodfa Bridge (Memorial Bridge). The sun rises about 6.30am, a good half hour before the traffic begins to thicken. Tell the taxi driver to let you off at the foot of the bridge. Climb the stairs and walk to the middle of the new span for a view downstream; then climb to the old span for a view of Wat Arun and the boats upstream. You may see a few early morning fishermen casting lines from the parapet. Walk down the stairs and upstream to Phak Khlong Talad, one of Bangkok's very best fresh markets (open 24 hours a day). This is the receiving point for fresh flowers, fruit and vegetables brought by long boat from Thonburi's market gardens and destined for the kitchens of Bangkok's hotels and homes. Wander around to see the wide variety of tropical produce on sale. To leave, walk straight along the road on which you entered the market until you reach an entrance on the right leading into a covered market. From the door, you can see a shrine at the far end with a statue of Rama I, Bangkok's founder.

A Local Breakfast and a Garland

Walk past the market, the fabric shops and various general shops until you reach busy Chakkaphet Road. Turn right past a goldsmith's shop and cross at the second junction to a watch shop. In front of it is a one-table pavement coffee shop. Ignore the dust and order Thai coffee, a strong brew of coffee and chicory beans, and some patongkoh, delicious Chinese breakfast pastries. It's a memorable way to start the day.

Afterwards, cross Chakkaphet Road to the flower sellers whose roses, orchids and other blooms fill the pavements. On a sunny morning, there are few prettier sights anywhere in the city. Buy a puang malai (small flower garland) and carry it with you. A few sniffs from time to time will act as a restorative as you walk through the pall of exhaust smoke towards the boat dock and river-taxi stop called Tha Tien.

Cross back to the coffee shop and turn right up Chakkaphet. When it crosses a canal it becomes Maharat Road and begins to curve to the right. Follow this to the junction with a street that runs between the Grand Palace and Wat Po. (The sign on the opposite side says 'Soi Thai Wang'.) Turn left and walk to the Tha Tien boat landing. Board one of the frequent squarish red boats that go to Wat Arun (daily 7am-5pm). In 1997, the temple and surrounding grounds underwent substantial renovation.

WAT PO

Temple of Dawn

During the Ayutthaya period, Wat Arun, or the Temple of Dawn, had a 15-m (50-ft) spire. It was restored by Rama II, III and IV, the height of its central tower being raised to its present 104m (341ft), making it one of the tallest religious structures in the country. The bases of the four upper staircases have niches with statues depicting the four important events in the Buddha's life. Climb the eastern staircase for a grand view of the city and of the four prang (spires) that mark the corners of the courtyard. The tiny god on his white horse is Phra Pai, god of the wind. Look closely at one of the prang and you will notice that the flowers are fashioned from porcelain shards and seashells.

Recross the river by boat, walk to the main street, turn right at the next junction, then turn left and walk to the entrance of Wat Po (daily 8am-5pm). Wat Po predates the birth of Bangkok by a century. Restored many times, it is one of Bangkok's most eclectic temples and well worth a visit.

Reclining Buddha

Of special interest is the 45-m (147-ft) long, gilded Reclining Buddha in the northwest corner. Inspect its feet with the 108 signs, or laksana, by which a Buddha can be recognised, rendered in intricate mother-of-pearl patterns. In the courtyard are statues of various rusi (ascetics) demonstrating body exercises. (Wat Po is highly regarded as a centre of traditional medicine.)

Do not miss the hot (ordination hall) to the right of the entrance with its marvellous mother-of-pearl doors and its sandstone bas-relief panels depicting scenes from the Ramakien. On the eastern side of the courtyard is the School of Traditional Massage. For a few hundred baht you get an hour's massage that will soothe travel-weary muscles. Thai masseurs dig in a little deeper, but enduring their efforts will result in a truly relaxed body. You may be hungry by now, so consider heading back to the Tha Tien boat landing for noodles.

WAT BENCHAMABOPHIT AND VIMARNMEK MANSION

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Today I has touring interesting place in Bangkok comes to present .

(WAT BENCHAMABOPHIT AND VIMARNMEK MANSION)

WAT BENCHAMABOPHIT

Take an early morning taxi ride to the Marble Temple to watch monks receive alms then continue to Vimarnmek Mansion, former royal rustic getaway. Known as 'the world's largest golden teak wood structure', it houses a lovely art collection and personal effects of the king.

About 6.30am ask a taxi driver to take you to Wat Benchamabophit at the junction of Rama V and Sri Ayutthaya roads. Alternatively,bus numbers2 and 72 stop nearby. The rest of the itinerary is best completed on foot. As you'll be visiting a temple and a royal building, appropriate dress is required.

Each morning before dawn, some 100,000 Buddhist monks throughout the kingdom don their saffron robes and walk barefooted through village and city streets. Buddhist families waiting outside their homes place rice and curries in the silent monks' black baht (alms bowls) which they will later eat at their monasteries. The ritual is slightly altered at Wat Benchamabophit (Marble Temple; daily dawn to 6pm).Here, Thais take the food to the monks who wait in the tree-shaded street before the temple. It is a moving sight and offers a chance for some superb photos.

Watch the almsgiving which continues until 7.30am; then proceed through the gate into the temple courtyard. Wat Benchamabophit was built in 1900, the last major temple constructed in Bangkok. Designed in cruciform shape, the exterior of the viharn (prayer hall) is clad in Italian Carrara marble, hence its name, the Marble Temple. Inside the hall the stained glass windows depicting praying angels are a radical departure from tradition, both in the material used as well as in the treatment of the subjects.

Phra Phuttha Chinnarat

Buddha Images

The Buddha image here is a superb copy of Phitsanulok's famed Phra Buddha Jinnarat, which is said to have wept tears of blood when Ayutthaya overran the northern town in the 14th century. Perhaps the most striking departure from traditional architectural style is the temple's enclosed courtyard. Note also the curved yellow Chinese roof tiles. In the cloisters behind the bot (ordination hall), King Chula- longkorn placed copies of important Asian Buddha images to show his subjects the many ways in which the Buddha had been portrayed in Asia throughout history. Through the rear entrance of the courtyard is a huge bodhi tree, approaching a century in age, which is reputed to be derived from the tree under which the Buddha gained enlightenment in India. Leave the temple through the northern door onto Sri Ayut- thaya Road, turn left and keep going until you reach the next junction. Turn right into the broad plaza with Its equestrian statue of King Chulalongkorn. Walk past it to the Ananta Samakom (Royal Throne Hall), the former home of the Thai Parliament and originally built by Chulalongkorn in 1907 as his throne hall; unfortunately, it is closed to the public. Continue around the building to the right and halfway around on the right you will reach the gate to Bangkok's Dusit Zoo (daily 8am-6pm). The zoo, while not one of Bangkok's star attractions, provides a fairly decent introduction to the animals of Asia's jungles, with the rhinos, the large aviary, the orang-utan and the royal white elephants being special favourites.

Dusit Palace Vimarnmek

vimarnmek

At about 10am, return to the zoo entrance and continue in the direction you were heading before. Behind the Ananta Samakom is a gate marked 'Vimarnmek'. At the doorway, present the ticket you bought at the Grand Palace or pay the small admission fee. Free 45-minute guided English-language tours are conducted at half-hourly intervals beginning at 9.45am (last tour at 2.45pm). You are not allowed to wander on your own inside the palace.

Vimarnmek, or 'Cloud Mansion' (daily 9.30am-4pm), was originally built on the island of Ko Si Chang in 1868. However, during a tour of Europe in 1897, King Chulalongkorn

was so impressed by the number of royal residences with spacious gardens on the outskirts of capital cities, that he moved Vimarnmek to its present location in 1901. Today, displays of classical dance and kick-boxing are staged throughout the day.

The building, constructed completely from golden teak wood, is a pastiche of Thai, Italian and Victorian styles. The collection of objects and furniture is equally eclectic. Chulalongkorn was the first Siamese king to travel to the West and Vimarnmek tells us what strange things caught his eye. The brass bathtub may have been the first of its kind in Siam. Note the array of small containers for storing betel leaves and areca nuts; they are covered with precious stones, ivory and gold. Nowadays, Thais regard the chewing of these substances as a repulsive and addictive habit, but it seems to have been a principal pastime of Chulalongkorn's womenfolk. The photograph of the king on a visit to England surrounded by a dozen boys in morning dress amuses many tourists. Yes, they were all his sons - and all about the same age. Chulalongkorn had about 40 concubines and twice as many children.

A Range of Museums

Some of the wooden houses in the grounds were the residences of favourite concubines, others were the homes of palace officials. These houses, including Tamnak Ho and Suan Si Ruedu, are now used as museums, each with its own delightful collection of period pieces. The Royal Elephant Museum is also within the grounds of Vimarnmek, as well as a number of photographic museums. The Abhisek Dusit Throne Hall houses exquisite Thai handicrafts created by the Queen Sirikit-sponsored SUPPORT foundation. At the end of Vimarnmek's west wing, on the edge of the khlong (canal), is a cluster of stilted wooden houses. The king had them built so that he could pretend to be a commoner/It is said that the king actually did the cooking himself and had his royal relatives wash the dishes.

WAT PHRA KAEO, GRAND PALACE AND NATIONAL MUSEUM

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Start your river journey at The Oriental hotel pier. The express boats move quickly along the river and only stop for a few seconds at the piers, so be careful getting on and off (the boat may still be moving). Dress appropriately to avoid being refused admission to temples.

Begin the day with a buffet breakfast on the edge of the river. The Shangri-La Hotel's Coffee Garden and The Oriental's Verandah Terrace are boat excellent and highly recommended. About 9am, walk to the boat landing at the end of Soi Oriental (on the south side of The Oriental Hotel). There, board an express boat heading upstream to your right. Disembark at Tha Chang Wang Luang landing just past the Grand Palace,
visible on your right. Walk straight down the street about 200m (650ft) to the entrance of the Wat Phra Kaeo and the Grand palace (daily 8.30am-3.30pm) which stands on the right behind a tall, white stucco wall.

No matter how much you've heard of the Grand Palace and the Wat Phra Kaeo, also known as Temple of the Emerald Buddha, you can never be quite prepared for the glittering reality of these buildings. The admission ticket is for both aforementioned buildings, Wat Phra Kaeo Museum and the Coins and Decorations Museum in the same vicinity, as well as Vimarnmek across town. Before entering Wat Phra Kaeo, note the entrance to the Coins and Decorations Museum on your right because you will return here later.

Grand Palace and Museums
    From Wat phra Kaeo, go south into the compound of the Grand Palace, built by Rama I (1782-1809). Since 1946, the Thai royal family has lived in Chitralada Palace in northern Bangkok but the Grand Palace is still used for state ceremonies.The first building is the Amarin Vinitchai Throne Hall, the royal residence for the first three Chakri dynasty kings, housing their boatshaped throne. Bihind it is Rama I 's bedchamber, Maha Montien. Since his reign, each new monarch has slept in it the first night after his coronation. In the courtyard are gold-knobbed red poles where the royal elephants where once tethered.

   The centrepiece is majestic Chakri Maha Prasad (Grand Palace Hall), built in 1882, with three spires atop an Italianate building. The state drawing rooms are decorated in the manner of European palaces, with some very Thai touches to maintain the perspective. To the west is the Dusit Maha Prasad, or Audience Hall, now the final resting place of deceased kings before they are cremated in Sanam Luang field.

To the northwest is the Wat Phra Kaeo Museum (daily 8.30am-3.30pm), which contains a collection of beautiful Buddha images made of crystal, silver, ivory and gold, as well as some beautiful lacquer screens. In the southern room on the second floor are two very interesting scale models of the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaeo complex: one as it looked over 100 years ago and the other as it looks today. From the museum veer right to a restaurant with an open veranda and a panoramic view of the Dusit Maha Prasad. Order a chilled coconut and drink the clear, sweet liquid through a straw, scraping out the tender white flesh with a spoon. The shop also sells Chiang Mai waxed paper umbrellas, handy for warding off the sun and the rain.

   Leave the Grand Palace and walk past the ticket booth to the Coins and Decorations Museum
(daily 9am-3.30pm), with examples of ceramic coins, silver bullet money, seals and both Thai and world currencies. Upstairs are beautiful royal crowns, jewelled swords, jewellery, medals, brocaded robes and betel nut sets, which signify royal rank.

The National Museum

    After leaving the Grand Palace complex cross the road and head left up Na Phra That Road, keeping the large open space of Sanam Luang on your right. At the far end of the field on the left is the National Museum (Wed-Sun 9am-4pm), one of the largest in Southeast Asia. It takes you on a journey into Thailand's fabled past, and displays include huge, gold-encrusted royal funeral chariots, weapons for elephant warfare, beautiful puppets, textiles, images of Buddha and Hindu gods, and other exotica.

Guided 2-hour tours on subjects ranging from Buddhism to Thai art and culture are available at 9.30am. English-language tours are organised on Wednesday (Buddhism) and Thursday (Thai art, culture and religion). On Thursdays, the tours are also conducted in German while French- and Japanese-language tours are held on Wednesdays. Call 01-224 1333 for the full schedule and details.

Besides housing a vast collection of antiquities, the museum has an interesting history of its own. The oldest buildings in the compound date from 1782 and were built as the palace of the 'second king' (deputy ruler), a feature of the Thai monarchy until 1870. Originally, the palace included a large park that went all the way to Wat Mahathat (further north along NaPhraThat Road) and covered the northern half of the present Sanam Luang grounds.

Be sure to visit the Buddhaisawan Chapel, to the right of the museum ticket office, for its exquisite collection of murals, and to see Thailand's second most sacred Buddha image, the Phra Buddha Sihing. The bronze image is paraded through the streets of Bangkok each year on the day before the festival of Songkran, when water flies freely (see Calendar of Events).

After the tour, return to your hotel for dinner or go to one of the restaurants recommended in the Eating Out section of this guide.

HISTORY & CULTURE

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It is difficult to picture the city of Bangkok as a riverside fruit orchard . Yet, This was how the city looked 400 years ago : a bang (village) of a few thatched houses among the kok (wild plum) trees growing along the banks of the Chao Phraya River. About three centuries ago, Bangkok was a duty port for tall ships bearing the car goes of the world. The ships would stop here for customer inspection on their way to the thai capital at Ayuttaya 76 km (48 miles) up the river.

Bangkok Becomes a City

By 1650, the town had grown. Among the thatched house were permanent dwellings occupied by Chinese merchants and court officials who were assigned to monitor river traffic. A pair of French-built, star-shaped fortresses served as sentinels at this gateway to the north. One sat just south of a small Buddhist temple called Wat Po , and the other on the opposite bank in thonburi, at the mouth of Bangkok Yai canal. Today, the latter's whitewashed, crenellated walls stand as a silent reminder of a former age.

In the 17th century, foreign meddling in its political affairs forced Thailand to close its doors to all Europeans for 150 years. Missionaries and a few merchants, however, prised Bangkok open in the 1830s, and by 1860, trade and amity treaties had been established with many European countries and North America.

The year 1767 was catastrophic for the Thais. Fabled Ayutthaya, which for 400 years had been one of the richest cities in the East, was overrun and torched by the Burmese. The remnants of the Thai army fled south to Thonburi, where they established a temporary capital. It served as a staging area for ceaseless battles with the Burmese, the Laotians and the Vietnamese, all of whom were determined to incorporate Thailand into their own empires.