Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
leanings with a deluge of pirated goods, particularly watches and clothing. Bargain
with intensity as first-quoted prices tend to be astronomically high.
PAK KHLONG MARKET
Market
( Th Chakkaphet & Th Atsadang; 24hr; river ferry Tha Saphan Phut)
A wholesale
vegetable market by day but at night transforms into a huge bouquet as the city's
largest depot for wholesale flowers.
Thonburi Canals
For an up-close view of the city's famed canals, long-tail boats are available for hire at
Tha Chang, Tha Tian, Tha Oriental and Tha Phra Athit.
Trips explore the Thonburi canals
Khlong Bangkok Noi
and, further south,
Khlong
Bangkok Yai
, taking in the Royal Barges National Museum, Wat Arun and a riverside
temple with fish feeding. Longer trips diverge into
Khlong Mon
, between Bangkok Noi
and Bangkok Yai, which offers more typical canal scenery, including orchid farms. On
weekends, you have the option of visiting the
Taling Chan floating market
.
Getting There & Away
Air
Bangkok has two airports:
Suvarnabhumi International Airport
( 0 2132 1888;
www.bangkokairportonline.com
)
Suvarnabhumi, 30km east of Bangkok, began commercial international and domestic service
in September 2006 after several years of delay. The airport's name is pronounced
sù·wan·ná·poom,
and it inherited the airport code (BKK) previously used by the old airport at
Don Muang.
ternational and domestic airport, 25km north of central Bangkok, was retired from commer-
cial service in September 2006, only to be partially reopened five months later to handle
overflow from Suvarnabhumi. At the time of writing, rumours of the airport's imminent closure
had been circulating, but for now it's still serving some domestic flights.
