Just under 14 degrees North of the Equator, Bangkok is a tropical metropolis that is also one of the most traveller-friendly cities in Asia. A furious assault on the senses, the first things that impress many visitors are the heat, the congestion both on streets and sidewalks, the pollution inherent to rapid development, the squalor that accompanies a gaping chasm between rich and poor, and the irrepressible smiles of the Thais. Despite the sensationalized international news reports and first impressions, the city is surprisingly safe, more organized than it initially appears, and full of hidden gems waiting to be discovered. The high relative humidity and warm temperature favor the growth of tropical plants — you'll find exotic orchids and delicious fruit everywhere. Thai cuisine is singular, justifiably famous, varied, and affordable. Bangkok, for many, represents the quintessential Asian capital. Saffron-robed monks, garish neon signs, graceful Thai architecture, spicy dishes, colourful markets, traffic jams, and the tropical climate come together in a happy coincidence. It is difficult to leave with lukewarm impressions of the city.

Bangkok (originally Bang Makok) was a small village on the banks of the Chao Phraya river, until a new capital was founded on the west bank (present-day Thonburi) after the fall of Ayutthaya. In 1782, King Rama I built a palace on the east bank (now Rattanakosin) and renamed the city as Krung Thep, as it is now known to Thais -- the City of Angels (and much more: the full name is listed as the world's longest place name by the Guinness Book of Records; an English rendering goes like this: "Krung thep mahanakhon amorn ratanakosin mahintharayutthaya mahadilok pop noparatratchathani burirom udomratchanivetmahasathan amornpiman avatarnsathit sakkathattiyavisnukarmprasit" -- "The city of angels, the great city, the residence of the Emerald Buddha, the impregnable city (of Ayutthaya) of God Indra, the grand capital of the world endowed with nine precious gems, the happy city, abounding in an enormous Royal Palace that resembles the heavenly abode where reigns the reincarnated god, a city given by Indra and built by Vishnukarn"). The original village has long since ceased to exist, but for some reason foreigners never caught on to the change.

Addresses in Bangkok use the Thai addressing system, which may be a little confusing to the uninitiated. Large roads such as Silom or Sukhumvit are thanon (???), often abbreviated Th or glossed "Road/Avenue", while the side streets branching off from them are called soi (???). Sois are numbered, with even numbers on one side and odd ones on the other. Thus, an address like "25 Soi Sukhumvit 3" means the 25th building on the 3rd soi of Sukhumvit Road. While the soi numbers on each side will always advance upward, the numbers often do not advance evenly between sides - for example, Soi 55 could be across from soi 36. Many well-known sois have an additional name, which can be used instead of the number. Soi 3 is also known as "Soi Nana", so the address above might thus also be expressed as "25 Soi Nana". The extension /x is used for new streets created between existing streets, as seen in Sukhumvit's soi pattern 7, 7/1, 7/2, 9, 11. Note that some short alleys are called trok (????) instead of soi.

To make things a little more complex, some large sois like Soi Ekamai (Sukhumvit Soi 63) and Soi Ari (Phahonyothin Soi 9) have their own sois. In these cases an address like "Soi Ari 3" means "the 3rd soi off Soi Ari", and you may even spot addresses like "68/2 Soi Ekamai 4, 63 Sukhumvit Road", meaning "2nd house beside house 68, 4th soi off Ekamai, the 63rd soi of Sukhumvit". In many sois the housenumbers are not simply increasing, but may spread around.

To further bewilder the tourist who doesn't read Thai, the renderings of Thai street names in the Latin alphabet are not consistent. The road running towards the airport from the Victory Monument may be spelled Phahon Yothin or Pahon Yothin or Phahonyothin or Phaholyothin depending on which street sign or map you consult. It's all the same in Thai, of course -- only the romanisation varies.

And if that's not confusing enough, most of the larger streets tend to change names altogether every few kilometers. Sukhumvit is called Sukhumvit on one side of the tollway (roughly east), but it becomes Ploenchit just before you cross Thanon Witthayu (aka Wireless) going towards the river. Keep going just a few more streets and it becomes Thanon Rama I (usually said as just Rama I) after you pass Thanon Ratchadamri. But if you were to turn right onto Ratchadamri, in just a few blocks you'll find yourself on Thanon Ratchaprarop (past Petchaburi, aka New Phetburi, which is called Phitsanulok closer to the river). Got it?

But wait, there's logic to these name changes: most of them are neighborhoods. It wouldn't make sense to call the road Sukhumvit if it's no longer running through the Sukhumvit area, would it? Thus, Sukhumvit becomes Ploenchit where it runs though the Ploenchit area. It's when you're able to grasp the city in terms of its neighborhoods that it both becomes more navigable and more charming. Likewise, Pratunam and Chatuchak are much more than just markets; they're boroughs, each with its own distinct character.

Related to this last point, compass directions are not widely used by Thais to navigate in Bangkok. That's probably because they aren't very useful: the city's darwinistic layout, the changing street names, the winding river, and the lack of obvious landmarks all conspire to confuse your internal compass. Thus, asking for directions in terms of "is that west from here?" will probably earn you little more than a confused look from a local. You're better off to familiarize yourself with the neighborhoods and navigate to and from them. "How do I get to Thonglor?" will get you there faster than asking for directions to Sukhumvit Soi 55.

One exception: the Chao Phyra River is THE landmark in Bangkok, and many directional references can be made as "toward the river" or "away from the river". If you aren't TOO close, that is: since the river winds around the most popular tourist areas, river references tend to be most helpful when you're wandering farther afield than Banglamphoo or Sanam Luang or Rattana. And wander you should.

Bangkok's Don Muang Airport, the country's largest airport, is located 20 kilometers to the north of the center. See the Northern Bangkok article for details.

Suvarnabhumi Airport, 30 kilometers (19 miles) to the east and Don Muang's intended successor, remains under construction and is now set to open in June 2006.

If you are arriving by tourist bus chances are they'll drop you off outside their favorite hotel or guest-house. Arriving by public bus will plonk you down at any one of Bangkok's many bus terminals, the most likely candidates being:

• Northern Bus Terminal (Mor Chit), for northern and northeastern destinations, a 30-baht moto hop (or lengthy hike across Chatuchak Park) from BTS Mor Chit/Metro Chatuchak stations (N8/18)
• Eastern Bus Terminal (Ekkamai), for eastern destinations, right next to BTS Ekamai station on Sukhumvit (E7)
• Southern Bus Terminal (Sai Tai Mai), for points west and south, inconveniently located in Thonburi on the wrong side of the river

For Mor Chit and the Southern terminal your best bet (especially at night) is a metered taxi directly to your final destination. If on your way out of Bangkok, be sure to confirm which terminal your bus is leaving from.

Trains pull into the huge and surprisingly nice Hualamphong station, right in the middle of downtown and the current terminus of the Bangkok Metro line. The station has a good tourist office (only listen to the people at the Info desk, anyone walking around offering to help you 'find' a hotel or taxi is just a tout).

If coming down from parts north or northeast, you can also connect to the Metro at the northern Bang Sue station, shaving the last half-hour off your train trip. This is not a very good place to board trains though, as there is practically no information or signage in English.

Bangkok has a lot to see so the sooner you brave the public transportation system, the better.

Skytrain

The Bangkok Skytrain (BTS, pronunced bee-tee-et in Thai) deserves a visit simply for the Disneyland space-ageness of it. Built in a desperate effort to ease Bangkok's insane traffic and pollution, the Skytrain covers most of downtown and is especially convenient for visiting the Siam Square area. There are two lines: the light green Sukhumvit line which travels along Sukhumvit road, and the dark green Silom line, which travels from the Silom area, interchanges with the Sukhumvit line at Siam Square (C) and terminates near the Chatuchak Weekend Market (N8).

There isn't, unfortunately, a station near Banglampu District (aka the Khao San Road area), but you can take a river ferry to Tha Sathorn for the Silom line terminus at Saphan Taksin (S6).

You must have 5 or 10 baht coins to purchase Skytrain tickets from the vending machines near the entrance, so hold on to them. Fares range from 10 to 45 baht depending upon how many zones you are travelling. Consult the map (in English) near each ticket machine. If you do not have coins, you may need to queue for change from the staff at the booth. If you are in town for several days, weigh your options and consider a rechargable stored-value card (200 baht), a "ride all you like" tourist pass or a multiple ride pass of 10 trips or more. They will certainly save you time, scrambling for coins, and maybe even money. Check for information with the English speaking staff.

Metro

The long-awaited Bangkok Metro finally opened in July 2004. The Blue Line connects the central Hualamphong railway station (1) to the northern Bang Sue station (18), with interchanges to the Skytrain at Silom/Sala Daeng (3/S2), Sukhumvit/Asok (7/E4) and Chatuchak/Mo Chit (15/N8). You can also transfer to north/northeast-bound SRT trains at the northern terminus Bang Sue.

Metro tickets are not interchangeable with Skytrain tickets. Rides cost from 12 to 36 baht depending on distance; a 300 baht stored value card is also available. For single ride fares, a round plastic token is used.

The metro system does have a few quirks in terms of locations — the subway stop for the Chatuchak Weekend Market is not Chatuchak Park, but one stop further at Kamphaeng Phet (16). The latter drops you right inside the market.

A ride on the Chao Phraya River should be high on any tourist's agenda. The cheapest and most popular option is the Chao Phraya Express Boat, basically an aquatic bus plying up and down the river. The basic service plies from Wat Rajsingkorn (S4) all the way to Nonthaburi (N30) for 6 to 10 baht depending on distance, stopping at most of Rattanakosin's major attractions including the Grand Palace, the Temple of Dawn, etc. In addition to the basic service, there are express services flagged with yellow or orange flags, which stop only at major piers and should be avoided unless you're sure where you're going. The new signposting of the piers is quite clear, with numbered piers and English route maps, and the Central station offers easy interchange to the BTS Saphan Taksin station.

In addition to the workaday express boat, there is also a self-proclaimed Tourist Boat which stops at a different subset of piers, offers commentary in English and charges twice the price. The boats are slightly more comfortable and not a bad option for a hop or two, but don't get bullied into buying the overpriced day pass.

Canal boats also serve some of Bangkok's many canals (khlong). They're cheap, immune to Bangkok's notorious traffic jams, and they're VERY untouristy, unfortunately they can also smell bad: it's mostly locals who use these water taxis to commute to work and school and shopping, you get to see the 'backside' of the neighborhoods, so to speak. They're also comparatively safe -- just watch your step when boarding and disembarking, be wary of the water as it can be quite polluted, do NOT let it get in your eyes ! One particularly useful line runs up and down Khlong Saen Saep, parallel to Petchaburi Rd, and provides the easiest access from the city center to the Golden Mount. There's a boarding pier across from the WTC under the bridge where Ratchadamri crosses the khlong near Petchburi.

Finally, for trips outside the set routes, you can hire a longtail river taxi at any major pier. These are fairly expensive and will attempt to charge as much as 500 baht/hour, but with haggling may be suitable for small groups. To circumvent the mafia-like touts who attempt to get a (large) cut for every ride, agree for the price of the shortest possible ride (half an hour etc), then negotiate directly with the captain when on board.

Local buses, mostly operated by the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA), are cheapest but also the most challenging way of getting around, as there is a bewildering plethora of routes, usually marked only in Thai. If you can speak Thai you can call 184 Bus Route Hotline. Bus stops usually list only the bus numbers that stop there and nothing more. They are also subject to Bangkok's notorious traffic, often terribly crowded, and many are not air-conditioned. The hierarchy of Bangkok's buses from cheapest to best can be ranked as follows:

• Small green bus, 4.50 baht flat fare. Crowded, no air-con, no fan, famously suicidal drivers, not advisable for more than short hops.
• Red bus, 5 baht flat fare. More spacious and fan-cooled (in theory). Unlike other buses, a subset of these runs through the night (1.50B surcharge).
• White/blue bus, 6 baht flat fare. Exactly the same as the red buses, but cost one baht more.
• Cream and blue aircon, 9 baht for the first 8 kilometers, up to 17 baht max. From 9 to 17 baht starting May, 2005. Quite comfy.
• Orange aircon (Euro II), 11 baht for the first few kilometers, up to 21 baht max. All BMTA-run, new and comfortable.
• Purple Microbus, 20 baht flat fare. Some of these are Skytrain feeder shuttles and you can get free tickets if you buy stored-card value of 200 baht or more; see here for maps.

Buses stop only when needed, so wave them down (arm out, palm down) when you see one barreling your way. In all buses except the Microbus, pay the roaming collector after you board; on Microbuses, drop the money into a slot next to the driver as you board. In all buses, keep the ticket as there are occasional spot-checks, and press the signal buzzer (usually near the door) when you want to get off.

Two further pitfalls are that buses of the same number may run slightly different routes depending on the color, and there are also express services (mostly indicated by yellow signs) that skip some stops and may take the expressway (2 baht extra).

The best online resources for decrypting bus routes are the official BMTA homepage , which has up-to-date if slightly incomplete listings of bus routes in English but no maps, and the ThailandOnline bus route map (bus info only in Thai, the map itself is bilingual). As a printed reference, the Bus Routes & Map guide (50B) by Bangkok Guides is your best option at the moment.

Taxis are a quick and comfortable way to get around town, at least if the traffic is flowing your way. All taxis are now metered and air-conditioned: the hailing fee is 35 baht and most trips in Bangkok cost less than 100 baht. Trips from (not to) the airport do have a legal 50 baht surcharge that does not show up on the meter.

If the driver refuses to use the meter after a couple of attempts, simply exit the taxi. In some cases, late at night and especially near major tourist districts like Khao San, you will need to walk a block away to catch a meter cab. The effort can save you as much at 150 baht ($3.75). This is often also the case for taxis that park all day in front of your hotel. The only two reasons that they are there: 1) To take you places where they can get their commissions (Jewelry stores, massage parlors, etc) and 2) To overcharge you by not using the meter. Your best bet is to walk to the road and catch an unoccupied metered taxi in motion (easier than it sounds, as Bangkok traffic tends to crawl the majority of the time, and one car out of four is a taxi). Be sure to either know the correct pronunciation of your destination, or have it written in Thai; taxi drivers in Bangkok are notoriously bad at reading maps.

If you're pinching pennies or fussy about your means of transportation, you may wish to avoid the (very common) yellow-green taxis, which are owner-operated and of highly variable quality, that by great exception may have rigged meters. All other colors belong to large taxi companies, which usually enforce their standards better.

When traffic slows to a crawl and there are no mass-transit alternatives for your destination, by far the fastest way means of travel is a motorbike taxi (motosai). No, those guys in the pink smocks aren't biker gangs; they're motosai drivers. They typically wear colorful fluorescent yellow-orange vests and for passengers at street corners and near shopping malls. Prices are negotiable; negotiate before you ride.

For the unfaint-of-heart, a wild motosai ride can provide a fantastic rush. Imagine weaving through rows of stopped vehicles at 50km/h with mere centimetres to spare on each side, dodging pedestrians, other motorbikes, tuk-tuks, stray dogs and the occasional elephant while the driver — often a youngster with questionable legal driving credentials — blithely ignores all traffic laws and defies even some laws of physics. Now, do the same ride while facing backwards on the bike and balancing a large television on your lap — then you can qualify as a local.

Some bikes do not travel long distances, but simply shuttle up and down long sois not serviced by other transport for a fixed 5-20 baht fare. These are marginally less dangerous, especially if you happen to travel with the flow on a one-way street.

The law requires that both driver and passenger must wear a helmet. It is the driver's responsibility to provide you with one, so if you are stopped by police, any fine is also the driver's responsibility. When riding, keep a firm grasp on the seat handle...and do watch out for your legs.

Finally, what would Bangkok be without the much-loathed and much-loved tuk-tuks? You'll know them when you hear them, and you'll hate them when you smell them -- these three-wheeled contraptions blaze around Bangkok leaving a black cloud of smog in their wake. For anything more than a 5-10 minute jaunt or just the experience, they really are not worth the price — and, if you let them get away with it, the price will usually be 4 or 5 times what it should be anyway (which, for Thais, is around 30% less than the equivalent metered taxi fare). On the other hand, you can sometimes ride for free if you agree to visit touristy clothing or jewelry shops (which give the tuk-tuk driver gas coupons and commissions for bringing customers). The shops' salesmen are pushy, but you are free to leave after five to ten minutes of browsing. Visitors should beware though, sometimes one stop can turn in to three, and your Tuk Tuk driver may not be interested in taking you where you need to go once he has his gas coupons.

In case you actually want to get somewhere, and you're an all-male party, be careful with the tuk-tuk drivers, they will usually just ignore your destination and start driving you to some bordello ("beautiful girls"). Insist continually and forcefully on going only to your destination.

There's also a less-heralded, less-colourful and less-touristy version of the tuk-tuk that usually serves the back sois in residential neighborhoods. They usually have four wheels instead of three and resemble a tiny truck / ute / lorry, and they run on petrol instead of LP. The maids and locals tend to use them to return home from market with loads of groceries, or for quick trips if they're available. Negotiate before you get in, but don't expect to go much beyond the edge of that particular neighborhood.

Most of Bangkok's sights are concentrated in the "Old City" on Rattanakosin Island. Out of Bangkok's many temples, the following usually make the top 3:

• Wat Arun (The Temple of Dawn)
• The Grand Palace, featuring Wat Phra Kaew (The Temple of the Emerald Buddha)
• Wat Pho, home of the world's largest reclining Buddha and a famed massage school

Bangkok's many markets are an experience in themselves, see Buy for some suggestions.

• One day in Bangkok — if you have just one day to spare and want to catch a feel for the city

Bangkok is an extremely popular place for all sorts of pampering. The options available range from massages and spa treatments to haircuts and manicures and even cosmetic surgery, all at prices far lower than in the West.

• All self-respecting hotels in Bangkok will have a spa operating on premises offering at least (fully legitimate) massage services. These tend to charge a premium but also offer some the best treatments in town. Particularly well-regarded spas include Deverana [1] ) at the Dusit Thani and the eponymous operations at Banyan Tree [2] and the legendary Oriental [3] — the last of these being probably the most expensive in town, offering (among other things) a 6-hour Oriental Romance package for two costing a whopping US$535.

• Independent spas offer much the same experience but are a little more competitive due to the lack of a captive customer base. Figure on 1000B and up per hour for most treatments.

• The ubiquitous little massage shops found on every street corner in town offer the best value for money but the smallest range of services, with offerings usually limited to massage only. It is fairly easy to distinguish legitimate massage shops from more dubious places: the real deal will charge 250-400 baht for a typical two-hour massage and will often have a row of beefy farmers' daughters in white coats working on customers' feet in public view, while the other kind has wispy things in evening dresses and too much makeup yelling "hello handsome" at every passing male.

• Bangkok's hospitals offer generally high quality services at a fraction of the cost of a Western hospital. Probably the best-regarded (and most expensive) is Bumrungrad [4] , which (for example) charges 60,000B (~US$1500) for an all-inclusive breast implant package. Bangkok is also well known as a center for sexual reassignment surgery for people wishing to change their physical gender, although needless to say this falls out of the scope of a casual vacation.

• Related to the last point (although not exactly to pampering), Bangkok's pharmacies (drugstores) tend to offer a very wide range of (wholly legal and legitimate) medicines and herbal remedies at a fraction of Western prices, including many drugs that would require a doctor's prescription in other countries. Thai pharmacists tend to be exceptionally helpful, and most speak excellent English. There are small, independent pharmacists on almost every corner, and you'll find bigger (and more expensive) chains on the major streets and in shopping centers. Boots is probably the most ubiquitous chain; they're also a reliable source for traveler's toiletries.

Thai cuisine is a favorite of many, and many cooking schools provide half-day classes that provide a nice break from the day-to-day sightseeing monotony.

• Bai Pai Cooking School. Tel. 02-294-9029, email info@baipai.com, [5]. A nice casual cooking school with a nice modern design in the middle of a residential neighborhood. Their van will pick you up from your hotel or Bangkok location, because it's not easy to find. Instructors are fun and informative, and you get a souvenir printed photo and one is even emailed to you. Class run from 9am to about 1pm, closed Mondays.

• Blue Elephant. Tel. 02-673-9353, email cooking.school@blueelephant.com , [6] . Take classes from one of the most famous chains of Thai restaurants in the world. While the price is substantially higher than others in Bangkok, class takes place in the historic Blue Elephant restaurant, and while dining on your creations, wine, extra dishes and dessert are served. And they give you a Blue Elephant apron as well.

• The International Buddhist Meditation Centre. Wat Mahathat, 3 Maharat Road, Phraborommaharatchawang, tel. 2623-6325, [7]. Meditation classes in English are held at 7-10AM, 1-4PM and 6-8PM everyday in section 5 of the temple. Attendance is free of charge, but donations are welcome. Getting there: Take the river taxi to Chang Pier (between Silpakorn University and the Thammasat University). From there the center is a short walk.
• The World Fellowship of Buddhists. 2nd Floor, No.616 Benjasiri Park, Soi Medhinivet (off Soi Sukhumvit 24), tel:2661-1284(-90), [8] . Offers meditation classes in English from 2 to 5:30PM on the first Sunday of every month. The office also provides information on places to learn and practice meditation in Thailand. Classes and information are free.

Bangkok not only has plenty of Thai restaurants, but a wide-selection of world-class international cuisine too. Prices are generally high by Thai standards, but cheap by international standards; a good meal is unlikely to cost more than 300 baht ($7.50), although there are a few restaurants -- primarily in hotels -- where you can easily spend 10 times this.

• Phad Thai and curry shops everywhere
• Street vendors selling satay with hot sauce (for 5-10 baht a piece)
• Chinatown has a range of street stalls and cheap restaurants selling food (try 1kg of huge barbequed prawns or tom yam with prawns for 300 baht) to the discerning local population.
• All the Thai restaurant chains covered in the main Thailand article
• Restaurants featuring cuisine from all over the world on Sukhumvit Road and Khao San Road.

Bangkok's nightlife is notorious, although recent social order campaigns have put a bit of a clamp on things: in particularly, nearly all restaurants, bars and clubs are now forced to close before 1 AM, a few are allowed to stay open till 2 AM. You must carry your passport for ID checks and police occasionally raid bars, subjecting all customers to drug tests.

After 1 AM closing it is still possible to eat and drink at the sidewalk bars that open up. This is the Bangkok version of sidewalk dining with food and drink served all night. Available in many areas but especially in lower Sukhumvit.

Bangkok's main party district is Silom, home not only to perhaps the world's most famous go-go bar strip Patpong, but plenty of more (and less) legitimate establishments catering to all tastes. For a drink with a view, the open-air rooftop bar/restaurants of Vertigo and Sirocco are particularly impressive. Similar bars to the ones at Patpong can be found in the lower Sukhumvit area, at Nana Entertainment Plaza (soi 4) and Soi Cowboy (soi 23). A large number of more trendy and more expensive bars and nightclubs can be found in the higher sois of Sukhumvit as well (eg soi 33). Hippie hangout Khao San Road is also slowly gentrifying and there are even some Thais venturing into what were once mere backpacker bars.

Thais are generally accepting of homosexuality and Bangkok has a very active gay nightlife scene, concentrated in Silom Sois 2 & 4 and a short strip of gay go-gos bars off nearby Th Surawong. Most of these bars, however, are aimed at gay men and the lesbian scene is much more low-key.

In a league of their own are Bangkok's numerous transsexuals (kathoey), both pre- and post-operative, popularly known as ladyboys. Some work in the famed transvestite cabarets and there are some dedicated kathoey bars as well, but most do their best to blend in and many have the art of deception down pat. Telltale signs to look out for include tall height, large hands and an Adam's apple.

Note that some Thai regulars in the gay nightlife scene skirt the fine line between partying and prostitution, and the Western visitor, being considered richer, is expected to pay any food and drink expenses and perhaps provide some "taxi money" in the morning.

Sex tourism is big in Bangkok, and in the beer bars and go-go bars oriented to the farang (foreigner)it's fairly safe to assume that all Thais are on the take. It is, however, perfectly OK to go check out the shows without actually partaking, and there are more and more curious couples and even the occasional tour group attending. See the Silom article for basic guidelines on how to behave.

Note that prostitution is, in theory, illegal. HIV/AIDS awareness is better than it used to be but infection statistics among entertainment industry workers remain very high; freelancers are the highest risk group. One prohibition that is strictly enforced is the ban on child prostitution. Dancers and ladies in 'massage' parlors are generally of age (18) but freelancers are often under age. If you doubt the lady in question is old enough, don't take the risk.

The main areas: around Nana Hotel (especially Nana Entertainment Plaza, Soi Zero etc) and the left side down Sukhumvit Road up to Asoke; Patpong market; Soi Cowboy etc.

Bangkok is full of shopping malls and street markets of all types, especially in the Sukhumvit area; see the section for details. Prices can be ludicrously cheap by Western standards, especially for locally produced items such as clothes, although bargaining is expected and required. Dump a teenager in MBK with a few thousand baht and they'll stay occupied for the rest of the week!

A major attraction on weekends is the gigantic Chatuchak Weekend Market, in northern Bangkok but easily accessible by Skytrain and Metro. Slightly more manageable in size and open nightly is the Suan Lum Night Bazaar, covered in the Silom section.

See also: Electronics and entertainment shopping in Thailand

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Bangkok has a vast range of accommodation, including some of the best hotels in the world — and some of the worst dives too. Broadly speaking, Khao San Road is backpacker city (note that if you are traveling with a Thai citizen, they will be unable to stay anywhere on Khao San Road); the riverside by Rattanakosin is home to The Oriental and The Peninsula, often ranked among the best in the world (and priced to match); and Sukhumvit Road has hotels for almost all budgets from five-star to one-star.

When choosing your digs, pay careful attention to Skytrain and Metro access — a well-placed station will make your stay in Bangkok much more comfortable.

Given its size and poverty level Bangkok is surprisingly safe, with violent crimes like mugging and robbery highly unusual. However, Bangkok does have more than its fair share of touting and scams. Some common scam and guidelines for avoiding them:

• If an English-speaking Thai approaches you out of the blue and strikes up a conversation, be wary: they are almost certainly selling something. If they ask you if it's your first time in Thailand, always answer 'no'.
• Beware of tuk-tuk drivers offering all-day tours for prices as low as 20 baht. You may indeed be taken on a full-day tour, but you will only end up visiting one gem and souvenir shop after another; the driver will get a commission if you buy something and gas coupons even if you don't.
• Likewise, be skeptical if a tuk-tuk driver tells you that your chosen destination is "closed" and offers to take you to a "special Buddha temple" (etc) instead.
• Wats are always free and open just about every day of the year. Anyone telling you otherwise is most likely out to scam you.
• Be particularly wary of any offers to sell you gems at a "discount", especially large quantities for resale back home at vast profits. These operations can be surprisingly convincing, with some even hiring down-and-out foreigners to act as happy customers. See the Thai gem scam page .
• Make a photocopy of your passport and keep it with you at all times, especially at night. It is the law and police may check it at night if they setup a checkpoint to look for drunk drivers. Many night clubs will also insist on a passport (and ONLY a passport) as proof of age.

Also note that cameras are not welcome in go-go bars. Attempting to take pictures of the girls, even with your camera phone, is likely to result in your camera being taken and/or you getting beat up for good measure.

Carrying your own padlock is a good idea, and most budget accomodatins provide a lockable latch for you to put your own padlock on. Some budget places do insist that you use theirs, as they'll have a spare key and won't need to kick the door down when you lose your key. Regardless of whose padlock you are using, losing a key can result in expensive fines – up to 1,000 baht. If you do lock your room with your own padlock, carry your spare key someplace safe, like your moneybelt. Once inside, do consider some type of cable or a PacSafe [9] to lock your bags to something too big to fit through the door or window.

• The island of Ko Kret, upriver from Bangkok in the province of Nonthaburi, makes a pleasant day trip out of the concrete jungle.
• The ancient capital of Ayutthaya and its many ruins are just 1.5 hours away by bus or train.
• The magnificent royal palace at Bang Pa-In makes for a pleasant day trip.
• The Burma Death Railway and some good national parks can be found in Kanchanaburi to the west.