Thailand - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 708

modernized along European lines in
the late nineteenth century, and since
World War II has undergone a dramatic
transformation. Most of the city's
waterways have been concreted over, its
citizens no longer live on floating bamboo
rafts and the charmless urban sprawl is
spiked by skyscrapers. Yet in among the
chaotic jumble of modern Bangkok there
remains a city fiercely proud of its
traditions. As such it is a perfect
microcosm of Southeast Asia, and the
perfect place to begin your adventures.

functions. he main entrance is on
hanon Na Phra Lan, near to
Banglamphu and ha Chang express-boat
pier. Admission is B500 (daily 8.30am-
4pm, last admission 3.30pm; 2hr
personal audioguide B200, with passport
or credit card as deposit), and includes
entry to the new Queen Sirikit Textiles
Museum, just to the right of the main
gate (daily 9am-4.30pm), and to
Vimanmek Palace (see p.716). here's a
strict dress code (legs and shoulders must
be covered) but suitable garments and
shoes are available just inside the main
entrance (free, B200 deposit).
Most visitors head straight for the bot
(main sanctuary), which contains the
sacred Emerald Buddha, a tiny, jadeite
Buddha image, which is just 75cm high.
he Crown Prince ceremonially changes
the statue's costume and jewellery
seasonally. At the western end of the upper
terrace, the eye-boggling gold Phra Si
Ratana Chedi enshrines a piece of the
Buddha's breastbone. Worth looking out
for here are the well-preserved murals of
the Ramayana, which stretch for more than
1km inside the wat walls and depict every
blow of this ancient Hindu story of the
triumph of good over evil in 178 panels.

10

WHAT TO SEE AND DO
Bangkok's traveller heart is Banglamphu ,
with its myriad guesthouses, bars and
restaurants. From here, it's a short walk to
Ratanakosin , the royal island on the east
bank of the Chao Phraya that is home to
the Grand Palace , Wat Pho and the
National Museum . To the east, Chinatown
is noteworthy for its markets and street
food, while across the river Thonburi 's
appeal lies in its traditional canal-side life
and boat rides. he amorphous sprawl of
downtown Bangkok offers several
impressive historical residences among its
rampant commercialism, though it's
primarily a shopper's paradise. At
weekends, don't miss the enormous
Chatuchak Weekend Market , on the city's
outskirts, which sells just about
everything under the sun.

Wat Pho
Lying south of the Grand Palace, close to
the ha hien express-boat pier, the
seventeenth-century Wat Pho (daily
8am-5pm; B100), Bangkok's oldest
temple, is most famous for housing an
enormous statue of the reclining Buddha .
In 1832, Rama turned the temple into
“hailand's first university” by decorating
the walls with diagrams on history,
literature and animal husbandry. he wat
is still a centre for traditional medicine,

Wat Phra Kaeo and the Grand Palace
Built as a private royal temple in 1782,
the dazzling and sumptuous Wat Phra
Kaeo is the holiest site in the country and
houses its most important icon, the
Emerald Buddha. he temple is located
within the eighteenth-century Grand
Palace , now used solely for state

A WORD OF WARNING
If you're heading for the major sights, beware of scams . Tuk-tuk drivers or well-dressed people
pretending to be students or o cials may lie and tell you that the sight is closed, because they
want to lead you on a shopping trip, invariably to purchase gems or silk that are often fake or
on sale at vastly inflated prices (for which they'll receive a hefty commission). Major sights are
rarely closed for national holidays or state occasions, so play it safe and check it out for yourself
(you can check closing days for the Grand Palace, for example, at W palaces.thai.net). Similarly,
steer clear of tuk-tuk or taxi drivers who offer to take you on a ridiculously cheap tour of the
city; gem shops are often in the itinerary.