Table Of Content

©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd Bangkok “All you’ve got to do is decide to go and the hardest part is over. So go!” Tony Wheeler, cofounder – lonely planeT This ediTion WriTTen and researched by Austin Bush ccoonntteennttss PPllaann Y Yoouurr T Trriipp page 1 4 Welcome to Bangkok .....4 If You like ........................18 Gay & lesbian .............37 Bangkok’s Top 10 ...........6 Month by Month ...........20 entertainment ............39 What’s New ....................13 With Kids .......................22 shopping ......................43 Need to Know ................14 eating ...........................24 sports & activities ...48 Top Itineraries ...............16 drinking & nightlife...33 Explore Bangkok 52 Neighbourhoods at a Dusit Palace Park & Riverside, Silom & Glance ...........................54 Around: Thewet & Lumphini ......................114 Dusit ..............................84 Historical Centre: New Bangkok: Ko Ratanakosin & Chinatown ......................91 Thanon Sukhumvit.....129 Thonburi ........................56 Shopping District: Greater Bangkok .........141 Old Bangkok: Siam Square, Pratunam, day Trips from Banglamphu .................72 Ploenchit & Ratchathewi ..................99 bangkok .....................152 sleeping .....................173 Understand Bangkok 189 Bangkok Today ...........190 People & Culture ........201 The Sex Industry in Thailand ......................215 History .........................192 Eating in Thailand ......208 Survival Guide 219 Transport ....................220 Language .....................232 Directory A–Z ..............225 Index ............................243 Bangkok Maps 250 RICHARD I’ANSON / LONELY PLANET IMAGES © PETER STuCKINGS / LONELY PLANET IMAGES © (left) Wat Arun (p63) aR(as((arnhtniib vogoSdeoohw atrvdthl )ea(l eep)D R 1CTsii2somhhh4uaa )Nopio df) a Pkamhunr acdayeaytrnaisac we AuSTIN BuSH / LONELY PLANET IMAGES © Greater Bangkok p141 Thewet & Dusit p84 Banglamphu p72 Siam Square, Ko Ratanakosin Pratunam, & Thonburi Ploenchit & p56 Chinatown Ratchathewi p91 p99 Thanon Sukhumvit p129 Riverside, Silom & Lumphini p114 52 KIM Explore BERLEY COOLE / LONELY PLANET IM AGES © Bangkok Neighbourhoods at a Chinatown ..........91 New Bangkok: Thanon Glance .............54 Sukhumvit .........129 Top sights ...............93 sights ..................131 Historical Centre: sights ...................94 eating ..................131 Ko Ratanakosin & eating ...................98 Thonburi ...........56 drinking & nightlife ......136 entertainment ...........98 Top sights ...............58 sports & activities ........98 entertainment ..........138 sights ...................64 shopping ...............138 eating ...................69 Shopping District: sports & activities .......139 Siam Square, drinking & nightlife .......70 Pratunam, Ploenchit & Greater Bangkok ... 141 entertainment ...........70 Ratchathewi ........99 Top sights ..............143 sports & activities ........70 Top sights .............. 101 sights ..................146 sights ..................102 Old Bangkok: eating ..................147 Banglamphu ........72 eating ..................104 drinking & nightlife ......148 sights ...................74 drinking & nightlife ......106 entertainment ..........150 eating ...................76 entertainment ..........108 shopping ...............151 drinking & nightlife .......79 shopping ...............109 sports & activities .......151 entertainment ...........80 sports & activities .......112 Day Trips from shopping ................80 Riverside, Silom & Bangkok ...........152 sports & activities ........83 Lumphini ..........114 Top sights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .153 sights ..................116 Dusit Palace Park & ko samet ...............156 Around: Thewet & eating ..................119 amphawa ...............159 Dusit ...............84 drinking & nightlife ......123 phetchaburi (phetburi) ...161 Top sights ...............86 entertainment ..........124 kanchanaburi ...........165 sights ...................88 shopping ...............126 khao yai ...............170 eating ...................89 sports & activities .......128 drinking & nightlife .......90 Sleeping ...........173 entertainment ...........90 53 BANGKOK Top SighTS Wat Phra Kaew & Grand Palace .....................58 Wat Pho ..............................61 Wat Arun ............................63 Dusit Palace Park .............86 Wat Traimit (Golden Buddha) ..............93 Jim Thompson’s House ...............................101 Chatuchak Weekend Market ..............................143 Ayuthaya Historical Park ..................................153 250 Bangkok Maps Map Legend Sights Sleeping Routes Geographic Beach Sleeping Tollway Hut/Shelter Buddhist Camping Freeway Lighthouse CCahsritsletian Information Primary Lookout Hindu Bank Mountain/Volcano Islamic Embassy/ Secondary Oasis Jewish Consulate Tertiary Park MMounseuumme/nGtallery IHnotesrpniteatl/Medical Lane PPaicsnsic Area Ruin Police Unsealed Road WOZotihnoeerr yS/igVhinteyard PTTeooliseletp tOhfofnicee SPtlaezpas/Mall HydrogWraatpehrfyall River/Creek Eating Tourist Information Tunnel Intermittent River Eating Other Information Pedestrian Swamp/Mangrove Drinking & Nightlife Transport Overpass Reef Drinking & Nightlife Airport Walking Tour Canal EntertaCianfmeent BBuosrder Crossing WDeatlokuinrg Tour WDrayt/eSralt/ Entertainment CFuanbilceu Claarr/ Path Intermittent Lake Shopping Cycling Glacier Shopping Ferry Boundaries Areas Metro Sports & Activities Monorail International Beach/Desert Diving/Snorkelling Parking State/Province Cemetery Canoeing/Kayaking (Christian) SSSkuwiriifmningmging/Pool TSTar-Baxiianh/nRailway DReisgpiounteadl/Suburb CPaermk/etFeorrye (sOtther) Walking Tram Marine Park Sportsground WOtihnedrs uSrpfoinrgts & TUu-Bbaeh Sntation Cliff SToigph St i(gBhutilding) Activities Other Transport Wall (Building) 251 kmmiles 10.5 NGY OE LO HT T K VI e0#0 HUAYHWANG SUKHUM BenjakitiPark LakeRatchada K Ð"0 1 Ð"6 T HI C AM OEN ni N L hik TU P mpPar A u K HAYATHAI PR SQUARE UMWAN 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ThMahaRat #æ#Ø819 6SLa#÷unaanmg ThRatchadamn LawtThAtsada 3 n T f#Tha ThNaPhraLan #æTh2LakMeuangg h Chang 4 ArunAmarin RTahkahWanagtf# MaeNam ú#12ThMahaRat V#KGPPaaWrhaleaarnwactde#Ú ThSanamC inihctaRhT 4 Cha hai o P Saranrom 5 hray KORATANAKOSIN 7#÷GaRrodyeanl 5 a Khlong Mon Tha 15ú# Th ThaiWWanag#ÚtPho2#Ø0ThChhgaroenKrung Tien SoiPratu Seemap ThAr 14ú# Nokyung p258 6 unAm ThaAWruantf# 1û#6 11#Øú#SoiPheSnoiPPhaantsook 6 THONBURI arin Wat#ÚArun 22 2#ÿ3 2#ÿ4ThMahaâ#Rat3#ñ ThRatchini 7 Th Wang Doem KBhalnognkgokYai KhloTnLgahwtSaphanPhut 7 A B C D 253 KORATANAKOSIN&THONBURIMaponp252 æTopSights (p58) 14PaAew.......................................................C6 GrandPalace.............................................C5 15RubAroon..................................................C6 WatArun....................................................B6 WatPho......................................................D5 ûDrinking&Nightlife (p70) WatPhraKaew..........................................C4 16Amorosa....................................................C6 K æSights (p64) ýEntertainment (p70) o 1AmuletMarket...........................................B3 17NationalTheatre.......................................C2 r 2LakMeuang...............................................D4 18PatravadiTheatre.....................................B3 a T 3MuseumofSiam.......................................D6 a 4NationalMuseum......................................C2 ØSports&Activities (p70) n 5RoyalBargesNationalMuseum...............A1 19InternationalBuddhist a 6SanamLuang.............................................C3 MeditationCenter..................................C3 K o 7SaranromRoyalGarden...........................D5 20MassagePavilions.....................................D5 s 8SilpakornUniversity..................................C4 MeditationStudyandRetreat i SilpakornUniversityArtCentre.......(see8) Center............................................(see19) n 9SongkranNiyomsaneForensic 21SegwayTourThailand..............................B3 & MedicineMuseum&Parasite WatMahathat...................................(see19) T Museum..................................................A2 22WatPhoThaiTraditionalMedical h 10ThammasatUniversity..............................C3 andMassageSchool..............................C6 o n úEating (p69) ÿSleeping (p176) b 11CoconutPalm............................................C6 ArunResidence................................(see16) u 12Khunkung...................................................B4 23Aurum:TheRiverPlace............................C6 r i 13MangkudCafe............................................B3 24ChakrabongseVillas.................................C6 254 Keyonp256 A B C D 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