Bangkok Attractions - Bangkok Vacation Packages


	Bangkok Attractions Some useful terms: bot: the central shrine in a Buddhist temple. chedi: a memorial mound, usually bell-shaped, containing sacred objects klong: canal wat: Buddhist temple or monastery with religious and other buildings. Wats are usually separated from the secular world by 2 walls. Between these walls are found the monks' quarters and sometimes a bell tower. Dusit Zoo Rama V and Ratchawithi rds. 02/-0000 Daily 8am-6pm Admission charged The Dusit (also called Khao Din) Zoo is in a lovely park between the Chitralada Royal Palace and the National Assembly. Besides admiring the many indigenous Asian animals (including royal white elephants), you can rent paddleboats on the pond. Children can ride the elephants while their parents rest and snack at one of the zoo's cafés under broad shade trees. Jim Thompson's House Soi Kasemsan 2 On a small soi off Rama I Rd., opposite the National Stadium 02/215-0122 Mon-Sat 9am-5pm Admission charged Jim Thompson was a New York architect who served in the OSS (Office of Strategic Services, now the CIA) in Thailand during World War II and afterward settled in Bangkok. Almost single-handedly he revived Thailand's silk industry, employing Thai Muslims as skilled silk weavers and building up a thriving industry. Kamthieng House (The Siam Society) 131 Soi Asoke 02/661-6470 Tues-Sat 9am-noon and 1-5pm North of Sukhumvit on Soi 21 Admission charged. The 19th-century Kamthieng House, on the grounds of the Siam Society Headquarters, is a rice farmer's teak house transplanted from the banks of Chiang Mai's Ping River. Its collection, organized with financial help from the Asia and Rockefeller foundations, is oriented toward ethnographic objects illustrating the culture of everyday life. Lak Muang (City Pillar Shrine) Sanam Chai Rd. About a quarter mile northeast of the Grand Palace on the southeast corner of Sanam Luang Mon-Fri 8:30am-4:30pm Free admission The "City Pillar," northeast of the Grand Palace complex, near the Defense Department Building, is a small but delightful shrine, said to be inhabited by the spirit that protects Bangkok. Rama I erected a wooden pillar,), a symbol of Shiva to mark the heart of his new city. During the reign of Rama V the site was improved and other idols erected. Lak Muang was recently renovated, and countless locals come in supplication and with offerings for the guardian deity. Some pay professionals to dance in homage or thanks, and you can often see beautiful young women in ornate costumes performing classical lakhom chatrii, usually a little before noon. Queen Sirikit National Convention Center Ratchadaphisek Rd. off Rama IV Rd. Just south of Sukhumvit Rd. & Soi 21 02/229-3000 Call for the schedule of each show Free admission The center is the venue for many new exhibits and art shows open to the public, as well as the pivotal point for Bangkok's fastest-growing neighborhood. Red Cross Snake Farm 1871 Rama IV Rd. 02/-0161 Daily 8:30am-4:30pm At the corner of Rama IV Rd. and Henry Dunant Admission charged. For a short, entertaining, and enlightening show, stop by the Thai Red Cross Snake Farm (the Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute) in the heart of Bangkok opposite the Montien Ho Established in 1923, the farm was the second facility of its type in the world (the first was in Brazil). There are slide shows and snake-handling demonstrations weekdays at 10:30am and 2pm; on weekends and holidays at 10:30am. The Grand Palace Near the river on Na Phra Lan Road near Sanam Luang 02/222-0094 Daily 8:30am-11:30am and 1-3:30pm One of King Rama I's earliest accomplishments was to move the capital from Thonburi to a more defensible site on the opposite bank of the Chao Phraya. He chose the center of the Chinese community, which was then moved south to Sampeng, the current Chinatown. He intended to reproduce the destroyed capital of Ayutthaya. The construction of the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaeo were the first phase of his grand goal, though both were added to and rebuilt in subsequent reigns. The palace as it appears today was greatly influenced by Western architecture, including colonial and Victorian motifs. Anna, tutor to the son of Rama IV and the central figure in the story The King and I, lived here. The royal family moved to Chitralada Palace after the death of King Ananda in 1946, but it was here, in 1981, that General Chitpatima attempted to overthrow the government in an unsuccessful coup. The National Museum Na Phra That Rd 02/224-1333 Wed-Sun 9am-4pm. Free English-language tours: Buddhism culture, Wed 9:30 Art, culture, religion, Thurs 9:30am; call the museum or check a newspaper for more details and current schedule About a half mile north of Grand Palace Admission charged Trace Thailand's long history, beginning with the 5,000- to 6,000-year-old ceramic utensils and bronzeware of the Ban Chiang civilization, then acquaint yourself with one of the world's best collections of Southeast Asian art. Ferry Ride on the Chao Phraya River Boats leave every 20 minutes between 6:15 AM and 8 PM. Fee charged. Long-tailed boats and ferries ply the Chao Phraya and the city's klongs (canals), providing a scenic escape from the Bangkok's traffic. One good trip-past waterside temples, traditional houses, the Royal Barge Museum, and Khoo Wiang Floating Market-starts at the Chang Pier near the Grand Palace. Royal Barges On Klong Bangkok Noi, north of the Phra Pinklao Bridge, Thonburi Take a taxi over the Phra Pinklao Bridge or take a ferry to Tha Rot Fai ("Railway Landing"), walk west along the street parallel to and between the tracks and the klong until you come to a bridge over the klong, cross the bridge and follow the wooden walkway Open daily 8:30-4:30. These elaborately decorated sailing vessels, the largest over 50 yards long and rowed by up to 60 men, are used by the royal family on state occasions or for high religious ceremonies. Suan Pakkard Palace 66 New Rd 02/245-4934 Admission charged. Open Mon.-Sat. 9-4. The five houses of this serene palace, built high on teak columns, sit among perfectly kept undulating lawns, shimmering lotus pools, and lush shrubbery. The main attraction, the Lacquer Pavilion, contains gold-covered paneling with scenes from the life of Buddha; other houses display porcelains, Khmer stone heads, old paintings, and statues of Buddha.