Bangkok, Capital of Thailand
Photo credit: Harshil.Shah via VisualHunt / CC BY-ND
[gmap place=”Bangkok, Thailand” /]
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.