Thewet & Dusit - Bangkok - page 189

Sampling homestyle Thai food good enough for royalty at Krua Apsorn .
Wondering what country you're in while among the Carrara marble, European-style
frescoes and red carpet of Wat Benchama- bophit .
Enjoying the breezy, tasty riverside dining at Steve Café & Cuisine or Kaloang
Home Kitchen .
Explore: Thewet & Dusit
Thewet, particularly the area near Th Samsen, has the hectic, buzzy feel often associated
with Bangkok: relentless traffic, throngs of civil servants and schoolkids, and a soggy
market. The adjacent river is the only respite from the action, and it also functions as a
good point from which to approach the area, as most sights and restaurants are a short
walk from the river ferry pier. Plan to visit this area at lunch or dinner time to best take
advantage of the riverside restaurants.
Dusit, on the other hand, is possibly Bangkok's most orderly district, home to the kind
of tree-lined avenues and regal monuments you'd expect to find in Paris. Set aside a few
hours - ideally in the cool morning - to visit the area's gems: Dusit Palace Park and Wat
Benchamabophit.
The two districts are a brief walk from each other, one made more difficult by the harsh
Bangkok sun. Dusit's sights are relatively far apart and are best approached by taxi or túk-
túk (pronounced đu ́ k đu ́ k ).
Local Life
» Local Hero Visit the Rama V (King Chulalongkorn; r 1868-1910) Memorial ( Click
here ) on any Tuesday (the day of the monarch's birth) to witness worshippers make offer-
ings of candles, flowers, incense and bottles of whisky. An even larger celebration is held
on 23 October, the former monarch's birthday.
» Boxing Day Dinner Planning to watch a Thai boxing match at Ratchadamnoen Sta-
dium ( Click here ) ? Do as the locals do: before the match, grab a plate of gài yâhng
(grilled chicken) from the restaurants surrounding the stadium, such as Likhit Kai Yang
( Click here ) .