"Bangkok" translated means "City of Angles". I guess it has a few things in common with its American namesake. Things like incredible traffic congestion, smog and urban sprawl.
I stayed in the area of the city called Bang Lampoo, on a street called Kho San Road. It was only about 1 mile from the Royal Palace. This area is know for its abudance of inexpensive hotel rooms. My hotel featured a private bathroom with shower, air conditioning, cable TV and telephone. It cost $9 per night.
The photo below shows Kho San Road - it is really a community of tourists. At night, the street is taken over by pedestrians. Cars have to creep along if they want to use this street.
My first day in Bangkok included a visit to the Royal Palace. It was a short walk away, and located right on the principal river through the city.
More photos of the Royal Palace complex.
From the Royal Palace, you can take a boat across the river to a large temple, called Wat Arun. The boat cost about 5 cents for the ride. Below is a photo of Wat Arun.
Two more photos of Wat Arun.
The reclining Buddha, in Wat Pho. Wat Pho is right next to the Royal Palace. A huge gold Buddha - the feet alone were 10 feet long, with mother-of-pearl inlayed "footprints".
While in the Royal Palace, I saw a miniature model of Angkor Wat carved from stone. It was a gift from the Cambodian government to the people of Thailand. This model was about 15 feet wide and was very detailed. Hmm, maybe this would be a good place to visit? (booked my ticket the next day)
The city had just initiated a new light rail system, in a effort to relieve the terrible traffic congestion. It was so new that it wasn't operational my first time through the city, but it was operating when I returned. I took the train for a few stops to see how it was. The tracks were all elevated over a busy arterial street. Unfortunately, it only served the new part of the city, and not the older part that I was staying in.
