T
T is for Bangkok's many modes of Transport. Debatably the most iconic form are Tuk-Tuks. Though originally from India, these gaily coloured three-wheelers have become a defining and rather deafening symbol of Bangkok. No trip here is complete without sampling the buzz that is sitting in the back of one as it weaves audaciously in and out of traffic, your body swaying from side to side in rhythm with the turns of your madly grinning driver. Even Bangkok's Taxis have their charms. Not just their jaunty day-glo colours but also the good luck amulets that drivers dangle from the rear-view mirrors. Taxis doubling up as mobile shrines - how cool is that?
Fancy a bit of game, set and match? Tennis is increasingly popular with the middle classes here, courts strewn all over the city. There's even an annual world-class tennis tournament where you can catch the pros at play.
Thonglor (Sukhumvit Soi 53) is a little slice of Bohemia, the "epicentre of creativity in Bangkok" as the New York Times put it. A walk along this road reveals almost as many architects, photographers and cool glitterati as it does hip cafes, bars and boutiques. Worth checking out, day or night.
For wonderful retrospectives about the country's cultural past, or exhibitions about the creative here-and-now, head to the TCDC (the Thai Creative and Design Centre) in The Emporium, a high-end shopping mall. It's done what many thought impossible: brought Thais into art exhibitions. How? By placing the gallery inside the mall of course!
If you fancy some pampering, don't miss out on a Thai Massage. Being compressed, rolled, kneaded and stretched by a masseuse who's no bigger than a sparrow is an indigenous delight you can find all over Bangkok. And not only does it offer increased flexibility, oxygenation of the blood, postural alignment, and elongated muscles, but also momentary escape from the hubbub outside!
A fitting finale to T is Bangkok's tall, timeless, twinkling Temples. Their architecture will astound you, their aura awe you. One of the best ways to see them is with one of the many Tours we offer.
U
U is for Uniforms. In Bangkok everybody gets one. The policeman's body-hugging brown bodysuit (quite flattering, no?), the university girls' provocatively short skirts, the school boys' crew cut - each puts the wearer in their rightful place. And in a society grounded in hierarchy that's just the way they like it. Only in Bangkok could uniformity be cool.
V
V is for Vertigo. No, not your fear of heights but the place that'll give you it. This restaurant on the 61st floor of the Banyan Tree Hotel takes five-star dining to lofty new heights. Admire the Views - among the best in the city - while wooing your date. Cast your eye over the scene beyond and perhaps, if you're lucky, you'll catch a glimpse of the city's historic Victory Monument.
W
Bangkok is a fascinating storehouse of the bizarre, the grim and occasionally even the gruesome. This fact greets you on the streets. Not convinced? Go gawp at the horrors that lurk in the city's Forensic Museum, where preserved corpses of mass murderers sit alongside grisly autopsy photos. Or pay a visit to the Corrections Museum, where evidence of the barbaric torture practices of the city's past are laid out in graphic detail for all to admire. Yes, if you hadn't already guessed, W is for Bangkok's Weird Places.
Bangkok is no stranger to free Wi-fi hotspots (wireless Internet). In fact, you'll stuggle to find a hotel, cafe, mall, coffee shop, book shop, restaurants, pub or bar here that isn't hooked into the virtual world. What's that, you want to be absolutely sure you can plug in before you head out? No problem - Jiwire.com has a nifty listing of wi-fi locations around Bangkok. Click here.
X
"Sex dee-vee-dee... you want sex dee-vee-dee, mister?" This furtively fired question greets many male foreigners as they traipse up and down Silom Road. Mostly annoying, occasionally intriguing, always illegal, whatever your thoughts on the matter, X is for XXX movies. Just whisper it, please!
Y
Kharma, Bhakti, Bikram or Hot: just a few types of Yoga you can find in Bangkok. With an abundance of studios and fitness centres all providing the best in techniques and instructors, there's no cooler place to balance the body and perfect those tendon-testing positions.
We love, Yaa Dong - rice whisky in which medicinal herbs are steeped to make tonics with near-on mystical powers. Served in little shot glasses costing no more than 10 baht, for generations it was the beverage of choice for those looking to deal with life's thorny problems, everything from back-pains and fatigue to fertility problems. Those with names like 'Murmuring Lady', 'Never Flaccid' and 'Moaning Mistress', left little to the imagination. With a bit of luck you can still find it - try Khlong Toey Market, Chinatown, Soi Rangnam or Soi Cowboy.
Z
Our only Z is for Zoos. Take the kids to Safari World in Samsen to experience a different terrain to Bangkok's gridlocked urban jungle. Drive your car through 8km of natural foliage. The only traffic you'll encounter here are wild animals: rhinos, giraffes, zebras, heck, even some lions. Alternatively there's Dusit Zoo, located to the north of Rattanakosin, a more traditional collection of enclosures for you to gawk at.
Now you've seen what's happening in Bangkok here and now, why not find out how it got here with our brief history of Bangkok. |
