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Bangkok is widely acknowledged as one of Asia's most "visitor friendly" cities. At first glance it appears wildly chaotic and disorganised, but look past this first impression and you will see a city filled with extremely friendly people, lush tropical foliage, fantastic restaurants, and historic Thai buildings and traditions. It is definitely one of the cities where holiday travellers are guaranteed to be pleasantly surprised at what they find once they arrive there.
There are many wonderful marketplaces in Bangkok, where you will find bold splashes of colour and a huge array of items for sale. The Chatuchak Weekend Market is extremely large (over 20,000 stalls) and offers just about anything you could ever want, from clothes to crafts to food to furniture and much, much more. Another very popular option is the Suan Lum Night Bazaar, a somewhat smaller version of the Chatuchak marketplace but still offering an amazing array of goods for sale. The prices at the Suan Lum Night Bazaar are typically a bit higher than some of the other markets, but it is also cleaner, cooler, and features a wonderful food court plus live entertainment most nights.
Bangkok has an ancient history of Buddhist temples, many of which are considered the finest in Asia. For instance, Wat Arun (Temple of the Dawn) is located on the banks of the Chao Phraya River. It is stunning in many ways, especially when you see the amazing central pagoda that's covered with porcelain; it literally sparkles in the sunshine. Another excellent temple to see is Wat Pho, a rather extensive complex that is technically part of the Grand Palace. It is perhaps best known for the giant reclining Buddha figure that's entirely gold plated with some parts also inlaid with mother of pearl. Interestingly, Wat Pho was one of the very first public education centres in the country and is greatly revered as a place of learning.
A number of monuments are scattered throughout Bangkok, commemorating everything from royalty to important events to the city's own history. For instance, the King Rama I the Great Memorial recognises the first king of Thailand's royal family of Chakri and the monarch who established Bangkok as the capital city of the country in the 18th century. Another memorial well worth experiencing is the National Memorial located on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road. This is a very large memorial complex, tracing the history of Thailand going back several hundred years. It features numerous wall paintings, statues, replicas of royal trappings, historic models, and more. This is an especially good stop for learning more about Thailand's history in a fairly quick and compact way.
Bangkok also boasts a number of very nice parks of different sizes, located in various parts of the city. Queen Sirikit Park is a lovely and peaceful place that includes a beautiful fountain and a wonderful collection of lotus plants. Another popular spot is Lumpini Park, an area once owned by King Rama VI. The king declared the open space to be used solely as a public park, and over the years it has developed into a fantastic place to walk, play, read a book, or nap in the shade.
Suvarnabhumi International Airport, located just outside of Bangkok, is a modern complex and one of the busiest airports in Asia. It is served by most major international air carriers as well as Thailand's domestic carriers such as Thai Airways, Bangkok Airways, and Air Asia. The terminal is humongous and generally quite crowded, so it's important to allow plenty of time to get where you need to go within the building. Once you have arrived in Bangkok, there are reliable metered taxi services, express buses, and private shuttles available to get you into the city proper.
Wiki:- Bangkok
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