Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Bangkok World Film Festival
FILM
mid-Nov)
Home-grown talent and overseas indies arrive on the silver
screens.
December
King's Birthday
(
ROYAL EVENT
5 Dec)
Locals celebrate their monarch's birthday with lots of parades and fireworks.
Sleeping
At first glance, deciding where to lay your head in Bangkok appears an insurmountable
task - there are countless hotels in virtually every corner of this sprawling city.
Making the job slightly easier is the fact that where you stay is largely determined by
your budget. Hotel rooms in Bangkok are generally more expensive than elsewhere in
Thailand, but don't fret as there's a huge variety and significant discounts can be had,
making accommodation excellent value overall. Banglamphu and the tourist ghetto of Th
Khao San still hold the bulk of Bangkok's budget accommodation, although the downside
is that it can be difficult to get to other parts of town. Cheap rooms are also available
around lower Th Sukhumvit, although you'll have to put up with sex tourists and touts.
Chinatown also has its share of hotels in this category, with the added bonus of anonym-
ity. And there's an OK selection of budget digs on Soi Ngam Duphli, near Th Sathon.
Those willing to spend a bit more can consider staying in 'downtown' Bangkok. Both
Th Sukhumvit and Th Silom have solid midrange options, typically within walking dis-
tance of the BTS or MRT. The sois (streets) opposite the National Stadium, near Siam Sq,
have some good budget/midrange options, and have the benefit of being close to the BTS.
Upper Sukhumvit is home to many of Bangkok's boutique and upscale designer hotels.
The city's most legendary luxury hotels are largely found along the riverside near Th
Silom.
Ko Ratanakosin
Ko Ratanakosin, the most touristed area of Bangkok, was until relatively recently utterly
devoid of lodging options. But with the advent of the boutique-hotel craze, riverside shop-
houses are being transformed into charming tourists' nests; in the last year or so, a handful
