Bangkok

A country: Thailand

City: Bangkok

Short description: Bangkok is called the city of angels and is the capital of Thailand. He asks to be first on the list, intended to familiarize with the country. In fact, after its examination of a traveler captures the unique flavor of the East, with whom he remains forever. The atmosphere of the capital fascinates deeply.

Description: In Bangkok, you can find more brightness, compared to many Western capitals. It is a combination of art soaring in the heavenly heights of skyscrapers and trade centers, stunning for its size, with preserved since ancient times, temples, dazzling gilded palaces and admire the emerald green parks. With regard located on its territory temples, their number corresponds to the figure of 400 sites. Just such a density of their location in the city other than modern types and dynamics of development, and affects tourists coming to the country. Excursion to the high-speed train opens all its brilliance.

Area and location: Bangkok is located in the central part of Thailand, near the confluence of the Chao Phraya River in the Gulf of Thailand. Currently, Bangkok already has more than 1.5 million square kilometers, and continues to grow rapidly, both geographically and economically.

Population: Officially registered residents in Bangkok, about 10 million people, but unofficial sources claim that the actual number of residents of the Thai capital - about 17 million.

A brief historical review: The origins of Bangkok takes three hundred years ago with a small shopping center port (Bang Kok). Then the official capital was the city of Ayutthaya, but after it was destroyed by the Burmese capital temporarily moved to the village of Bangkok (now a suburb of modern Bangkok). And when King Rama I built near the village of the Royal Palace (1782.), It was renamed in Bangkok Krung Thep and found a permanent official of Thailand's capital. By the way, the official name of the city (in Thai) built up of 24 independent words, and is a romantic description of the "City of Angels, and plenty", so Bangkok was listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the city with the longest name. Speak "native name" heart of Bangkok is a rare inhabitant of his, despite the fact that Thais are taught it in school, along with the national anthem.

Architecture: The entire architecture of the city is built around the main attractions of Bangkok - the Grand Royal Palace, which is located next to the main Buddhist shrine (ceremonial swing Lak Muang, Temple of the Emerald Buddha). The historic city center is full of Buddhist temples and monasteries (the most famous - Temple of the Reclining Buddha of Wat Pho with the largest Buddha statue in the world), which gives it the image of the ancient Asian city. . However, outside the historic khet (districts) of the Chao Phraya, Dusit, Phra Nakhon, etc. Pahurat begins a completely different Bangkok's Pathumwan District East, Ratchatevi, Pomprap Sattrupay - a world business centers, towering skyscrapers and shopping centers. Here, the past 30 years under active construction: built more than 100 skyscrapers, stock exchanges, commercial malls and hundreds of large hotels. Construction is now: Statistics in Bangkok are always in the process of construction of about two dozen new skyscrapers. But in residential areas of the city do not have to talk about the beauty of the architecture: the city is surrounded by several "rings" of the residential rayonchik: first there are the typical residential districts of the middle class, and then begins the real slum, consisting of squalid dwellings, where there is poverty and antisanatariya (Klong district Tay).

Cultural life: The choice of the cultural program in Bangkok - no easy matter: 40 museums and more than 100 galleries, not counting dozens of theaters and concert halls. Popular locations: the Science Museum, Silk Museum, Planetarium, National Art Gallery, National Museum of the Thai Art, the National Theatre, the Philharmonic Hall. You can also visit one of the many universities (Bangkok - Asian science center, the most famous in the world - it's Thammasat University) or the library of ancient manuscripts (mostly Chinese).

Night life: At night in the Thai capital of entertainment is not less than a day: all kinds of nightclubs with European and Asian music, cocktail bars, outdoor area with traditional Thai dancing, a lot of karaoke and discos. However, the particular area in which to all kinds of institutions uvesilitelnyh were gathered there, so the choice of the night program largely depends on the area of ​​residence: drive two hours to the other end of the city to dance hardly anyone will like. Typically, the entrances to the bars and clubs are free, except for the VIP clubs, the entrance to which is by invitation only or very expensive tickets (600 baht). The best areas for night stay: Sukhumvit, Silom, RCA area. The only negative - the majority of nightclubs (especially in hotels) in Bangkok stop working as early as 2 nights.

Shopping: Bypass all the shopping malls and markets of Bangkok can not afford even a professional "Shopper": there are more than 70 shopping centers, with over 200 shops, boutiques and about three hundred open-air markets. The best places for shopping: island Rattanokosin in the historic center, Chinatown (Chinatown), shopping malls:. Sentral World Plaza, Emporium, Gaysorn, Central Chit Lom, Siam Paragon, etc. Do not forget that as elsewhere in the East, markets and small shops can and should bargain before buying.

Kitchen: In Thailand, a very convenient and inexpensive system of catering: Fast food restaurants with Asian food, trays with hot food from street vendors, impromptu restaurants in the alleys and close to a busy road - all this can not be ignored on the streets of Bangkok. It remains only to choose what and how much to try (warning: try everything just will not work). From traditional gastronomic delights can safely undertake: Pork-bolas, fish-bolas, any seafood in all kinds of cooking, barbecue pork, chicken and beef filling, rice noodles with sauce, soups, rice sticks in bamboo leaves, and so on. . If you choose a restaurant for dinner, it is best to go to the themed restaurants: there is a restaurant with Thai, Indian, Chinese and Japanese cuisine. In principle it is possible to find a German, Italian or Mexican places. Home care in tasting local food - a caution in the use of Thai peppers (medium spicy Thai - a very spicy dish for Russian tourists !!!). Also, do not take risks with the use of fried insects, if you are not sure in the fortress of his stomach. Prices for a meal in Bangkok vary greatly depending on the location: on the street, you can eat full of 1.5-2 dollar, while the restaurant will have to pay at least $ 20-30 (in European cuisine restaurants, the prices are usually even higher - an average dinner per person $ 40-50).