Bangkok

Bangkok, Capital of Thailand

Photo credit: Harshil.Shah via VisualHunt / CC BY-ND

[gmap place=”Bangkok, Thailand” /]

Top Hotels in Bangkok

Why you need to visit!

1. (Street) food

2. Fine dining

3. Night markets

4. Floating markets

5. Temples

6. Rooftop bars

7. Club scene

8. Shopping (malls) galore

9. Hotels with wow factor

10. Excellent value for money

11. Friendly, helpful people

General Information

Founding Year – 1782

Founding Father – King Rama I

Lat/Long – 13.724 / 100.352

Elevation – 1.5 m / 4.9 ft

Style – Lifestyle, Tradition

Setting – Flat, Chao Phraya River 

Distances – Gulf of Thailand 25 km / 16 miles south

Districts – 50

Population – City 8,280,925 (2010)

                         Metro 14,565,547 (2010)

Area – City 1,568.7 km2 / 605.7 sq mi

             Metro 7,761.6 km2 / 2,996.8 sq mi

Time Zone – UTC+7

Official Website http://www.bangkoktourist.com/

Climate

Climate – General: Tropical Savanna Climate. Three seasons: hot, rainy, cool. Rainy season from mid-May to October.

Temperatures – Average low of 22.0 °C (71.6 °F) in December to an average high of 35.4 °C (95.7 °F) in April

Sunshine Hours – Average daily sunshine hours from 5 (July-September) to 9 (January, March, December)

Rain – Average rainy days from 1 (December, January) to 21 (September); average monthly precipitation from 6.3 mm / 0.248 inches (December) to 334.3 mm / 13.161 inches (September)

Humidity 74% (January) to 85% (September, October)

Infrastructure

Public Transport – BTS Skytrain, MRT (underground), Airport Rail Link

Airports – Bangkok International Suvarnabhumi, opened in 2006, 30 km / 18 mi east of the city centre, Don Mueang International (low-cost carriers), 24 km / 15 mi north of the city centre

Main Parks – Lumphini Park 57.6 hectares / 142 acres, Suanluang Rama IX 80 hectares / 200 acres

River – Chao Phraya

Fine Dining

Gaggan, chef Gaggan Anand, modern refined Indian cuisine

Le Du, chef Ton, young creative thai Cuisine

Mezzaluna – chef Ryuki Kawasaki, moderne Japanese/French cuisine

Sra Bua, chef Henrik Yde-Andersen, Thai-inspired cuisine with a modern twist

L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon, chef Olivier Limousin, modern French cuisine

J’Aime, chef Jean-Michel Lorain, fine Burgundy cuisine

Vogue Lounge, chef Vincent Thierry, international cuisine

Savelberg Thailand, chef Henk Savelberg, modern French cuisine

Sühring, twin chefs Thomas and Mathias Sühring, modern German cuisine

Eat Me, chef Tim Butler, modern international cuisine

Bo Lan, chefs Bo (Duangporn Songvisava) and Dylan Jones, Thai fine dining

Tourism

Visitors per Year – 21.47 (2016) international overnight visitors – the world’s most visited city in 2016

Top 10 Sights – Grand Palace, Wat Pho Temple, Wat Arun Temple, Wat Lat Phrao Temple, boat trips on Chao Phraya River and Thonburi’s canals, rooftop bars, street food, night markets, floating markets

Rooftop Bars – 20 rooftop bars between the 5th and 83rd floor, e.g. Vertigo (Banyan Tree Hotel), Sirocco (Lebua Hotel)

Highest Buildings – MahaNakhon, (314 m, 77 floors, 2016), Baiyoke Tower II (304 m, 85 floors, 1997)

Main Shopping Venues – Siam Paragon mall, Khao San Road (backpackers)

Main Museums – Bangkok National Museum, Royal Barge National Museum, National Gallery, Bangkok Art and Culture Centre

Major Sport Venues – Rajamangala National Stadium (50,000), National Stadium (20,000)

Major Annual Events – Songkran (13-15 April), Loi Krathong (November), King’s and Queen’s birthday (5 December, 12 August), Royal Ploughing Ceremony (May), Red Cross Fair (early April)

Crime – Moderate crime rate.