Attractions In Bangkok

Bangkok, with a population of over 9 million inhabitants, is one of the biggest cities in the world. Its heavy traffic congestion, intense heat and naughty nightlife do not immediately give visitors a warm welcome. But first impressions can be misleading. It is one of Asia’s most cosmopolitan cities with magnificent temples and palaces, extensive canals, a vibrant nightlife and great shopping, that has something for every traveler.Due to the city’s congested traffic, the best transport options around Bangkok are the Skytrain, the metro and tuk-tuks. A memorable way to experience Bangkok is by a boat ride on the canals. Here’s a look at the top tourist attractions in Bangkok:

Wat Traimit :-The Wat Traimit temple in the Chinatown area is best known for it’s more than 3 meter (10 foot) high golden Buddha image weighing more than five tons. Cast in the Sukhothai style, the image is about 900 years old and was covered in plaster to hide its value. Only in 1957 it was discovered that the statue was pure gold, when the image was moved to a new building and slipped from a crane. The temple itself is said to date from the early 13th century.

Dusit Palace:-Dusit Palace is the name of the compound of Royal residences, constructed in European style between 1897 and 1901 for King Rama V. The most prominent building is the Vimanmek Mansion, built of golden teak wood. The world’s largest wooden mansion, it contains 31 exhibition rooms as well as the throne room, bathrooms and bedrooms. If you visit the Grand Palace before this one make sure you keep your ticket as it gives you free entry into the mansion.

Lumphini Park:-Lumphini Park is more than just an oasis of nature in bustling Bangkok. Originally designed to house Thai crafts and flowers, it is a serene place where people can stroll paths, take a paddle boat ride or just sit and relax and watch others do their morning and evening exercises. Visitors who stroll along the pond may even come across a water monitor lizard, a crocodile-like reptile. Free outdoor concerts take place on Sunday afternoons.

Chatuchak Weekend Market:-Known locally as JJ Market, Chatuchak Weekend Market is the largest of its kind in Thailand. Some even say it’s the largest weekend market in the world. With more than 8,000 stalls peddling wares ranging from antiques to clothes to furniture, the wildly popular market draws in more than 200,000 people on weekends and includes a wide array of tasty restaurants. Shoppers are also entertained by shows, including dancing and live music.

Khao San Road :-Khao San Road is, technically speaking, a small road located about a block from the Chao Phraya River. Khaosan translates as “milled rice”, a reminder that in former times the street was a major Bangkok rice market. In the last 20 years, however, Khaosan Road has developed into a world famous backpackers hangout. It offers cheap accommodation, ranging from dorm style hostels to reasonably priced 3-star hotels as well as bars, food stalls, restaurants, convenience stores, internet cafes and travel agencies.

Jim Thompson's House:-The infamous CIA operative Jim Thompson revived the Thai silk industry after World War II and had this house assembled from six traditional Thai-style houses. As Thompson was building his silk company, he also became a major collector of Southeast Asian art. Jim Thompson’s House sits on a klong across from Bangkrua, where his weavers were then located. Tourists must take the guided tour through the buildings, which are given in plenty of foreign languages.

Wat Arun (Where to Stay):-Situated on the Thonburi side of the Chao Phraya River , Wat Arun (“Temple of Dawn”) is one of the oldest and best known tourist attractions in Bangkok. The temple is an architectural representation of Mount Meru, the center of the universe in Buddhist cosmology. Despite its name, the best views of Wat Arun are in the evening with the sun setting behind it.

CentralWorld:-Opened in 1990, the eight-story CentralWorld marketed itself as a middle class shopping center, opposed to the upper class-marketed Siam Paragon. On 19th May 2010, CentralWorld was one of the many properties set on fire by anti government protestors. The fire raged for two days and the Zen department store collapsed in the fire. After months of repair works, the shopping complex reopened on 28th September with 80% of its retail space open for business.

Temple of the Reclining Buddha (Wat Pho):-Wat Pho is famous for the huge Reclining Buddha statue it houses. It is one of the largest temples in Bangkok and also one of the oldest, constructed nearly 200 years before Bangkok became Thailand’s capital. Wat Pho holds the distinction of having both Thailand’s largest reclining Buddha image and the largest number of Buddha images in Thailand. The gold-plated Reclining Buddha statue is 46 meters long and 15 meters high, and commemorates the passing of the Buddha into Nirvana.

Grand Palace & Wat Prakeaw:-The construction of the Grand Palace started in 1782 when the capital of Siam was moved from Thonburi to Bangkok. The palace served as the residence of the Kings of Thailand until the mysterious death of King Ananda Mahidol in 1946. His brother King Bhumibol Adulyadej who succeeded him moved permanently to the Chitralada Palace. Today the palace is a major Bangkok tourist attraction. Part of the palace compound is dedicated to a royal temple, Wat Phra Kaew, the most sacred temple of Thailand and home to the famous Emerald Buddha. A jade statue adorned in gold clothing.

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