Fuzzy Bus

Bangkok offers a one-of-kind melting pot of Indian, Chinese, and Western influences. While the city retains much of its traditional heritage and culture, it is also a very modern, urban center of commerce, finance, politics, and entertainment. Visitors, whether business or leisure, will find the city an enchanting and exotic representative of Thai culture, cuisine, and history.

Bangkok is comprised of fifty khet or individual administrative districts. The districts are further divided into khwaeng. The 154 khwaeng aren’t that relevant to tourists, as they are mostly used for determining addresses and for administrative business. Most people think of the city in terms of six general areas and the outlying provinces.

Bangkok’s commercial center is known as Sukhumvit. It is comprised of Sukhumvit Road and is populated with fashionable shopping, five star Bangkok hotels, as well as many restaurants and shopping malls. While the city doesn’t have an official center, the intersection of the Skytrain at Siam Square is part of the Sukhumvit area and serves many of the functions of a traditional city center.

“Old Bangkok” is located between Sukhumvit and the Chao Phraya river. It is also known as Rattanakosin. This densely populated area includes some of the best-known wats in the city. Here you’ll also find Chinatown (Yaowarat). Some of the popular river sites are part of Rattanakosin as are Khao San Road (a favorite of backpackers) and the district of Banglamphu.

Silom is Bangkok’s main party district, though in the daytime it is home to Thailand’s main financial hub. Thonbuir is located on the west bank of the river and is much quieter, with some of the city’s more offbeat sites and small canals. Phahonyothin is the location of the popular Chatuchak Weekend Market and also home to the Don Muang Airport. Ratchadaphisek centers around the road of the same name and is located north of Sukhumvit.

Related posts:

1. Grand Port, Mauritius Island
2. New Delhi
3. Bird Watching on the Yarmouth Pier
4. New York, New York
5. The Cities of Goa