Very Thai by Philip Corwel-Smith

This book has been the best depiction of the Thailand and Bangkok that I know.  The photos and descriptions have the local culture down pat.  Buy yourself a copy if you can...it will be one of the best souvenirs of your trip to Thailand.   Philip also contributes to Bangkok101 a magazine that you can purchase or check out online with lots of handy hints and tips and recommendations.....
“This pioneering insight into contemporary Thai folk culture delves beyond the traditional Thai icons to reveal the casual, everyday expressions of Thainess that so delight and puzzle. From floral truck bolts and taxi altars to buffalo cart furniture and drinks in a bag, the same exquisite care, craft and improvisation resounds through home and street, bar and wardrobe.
Never colonised, Thai culture retains nuanced ancient meaning in the most mundane things. The days are colour coded, lucky numbers dictate prices, window grilles become guardian angels, tattoos entrance the wearer. Philip scoured each region to show how indigenous wisdom both adapts to the present and customizes imports, applying Roman architecture to shophouses, morphing rock into festive farm music, turning the Japanese motor-rickshaw into the tuk-tuk. Colour-saturated illustrations help you navigate various social traits, whether white-faced hi-so matrons or Red Bull-swilling workers wearing coins in their ear. This is Thai culture as it has never been shown before.”

Bangok National Musuem

The Bangkok National Museum is a definate must on your trip....that is if you are interested in history and have the time.  If you participate in the tour conducted by the volunteers then give yourself a minimum 4 hours.  It is advertised for 2 hours but we were still going at 1pm.  There is a coffee shop, restaurant and a book store so you could easily spend the day and not have to leave the premises.  The tour is well worth while...again if you have the time.  If you do not have the 4 hours plus.....I suggest you still take the time to visit the museum. 

To get there it is best to take the Chao Phraya Boat to Tha Chang Pier (N9). Walk through the food stalls and market sellers on the left hand side, cross a road and with the Grand Palace on the right. You will eventually come to the Au Bon Pain, again on the left and then Sanam Luang (A large Park).  Turn left here and walk down until you read the Bangkok National Museum.  Tickets can be purchased to the left of the entrance way.

In the former grounds of the 18th Century Wang Na Palace, The National Museum houses the largest collection of Thai art and artifacts in the country. It's definitely worth a visit, especially if visiting nearby Wat Phra Kaew or the Grand Palace.

Opened by King Rama V to exhibit the antiques and gifts bestowed to him by his father, it once held a reputation for being an ill-organised gathering of dusty relics. That has now changed, with exhibits now arranged into three areas consistent with Thai history, and good English-language descriptions available.

The front of the Sivamokhaphiman Hall is a Thai history gallery spanning the Sukothai through to the Rattanakosin periods. The Archaeological and Art History collection showcases items from Thailand's prehistory to Sukhotahai and Ayutthaya eras right through to the modern Thai Kingdom, including many ancient sculptures. Among scores of interesting collections in the decorative arts and ethnological collection are Chinese weapons, gold treasures, precious stones, Khon masks, puppets, ceramics, clothing and textiles, woodcarving and traditional musical instruments from around Southeast Asia.

Other exhibits of interest include a funeral chariot hall, featuring carriages used for royal cremations, and many excellent examples of Thai architecture. These include the Buddhaisawan chapel, a teak or 'red' house called Tam Nak Deang and various beautiful pavilions. Free English-language tours given by volunteers are available and also conducted in German (Thursdays), French and Japanese (Wednesdays).  On some sites it is advertised that there are tours on Saturday - but I was advised that this actually NOT the case at this time. For further details make sure you contact the Museum first.

There is a coffee shop that is air conditioned and sells cold and hot drinks.  The museum shop has a great collection of books on Thailand and the Asian Region and the Restaurant serves local food at local prices.

Manohra Cruise

There are a number of options for those that may be interested in travelling down the Chao Phrya River. The Manohra Cruise is the one that I come back to again and again. Two price options will suit any budget. Check out the website: Manohra Cruises




Daily Dinner Cruise: 
The Manohra Rice Barge will guide you on the Chao Phraya River to introduce you to the City of Angels at night.  I recommend you taking the cruise from the Bangkok Marriott rather than waiting at the Taksin Public Pier. However, if time is of the essence then it is quite handy to be collected and dropped off here if you are not staying at the hotel. Check on the website for current menus. The food is delicious and if you have any specific dietry requirements they can cater to that as well as long as you give them enough notice.


Times & Schedule

7.30pm - Depart from the Manohra Cruise Pier at the Bangkok Marriott Resort & Spa.
7.45pm - Pick up at the Taksin Public Pier
8.15pm - Dinner on deck of Thai Cuisine 
9.45pm - Drop off at the Tasksin Public Pier
10.00pm - Arrive at Manohra Cruise Pier


For reservations please call (66) 2 476 0022 ext 1416 or email: manohra@manohracruises.com


Overnight Cruise:


If your budget allows it the Overnight Cruise is an experience you will remember forever.
Dubbed the "Orient Express of the River" .  Check it out....  Manohra Cruise

Thai Cooking Class:


It runs from the Bangkok Marriott Resort & Spa from 8am to 12pm. You visit a local market and then board your Rice Barge to cook up a storm.....

If like me, you are trying to figure out what is going on in Bangkok -  making the most of your stay-  this is a good place to start.
Click here for What's on Today

Packed with lots of practical information this site has been very useful.  I have found dates for the Teenage Markets at CentralWorld or what is happening at Queen Sirikit Convention Center.

Other places to find out what is going on is:

Bangkok Post - Bangkok Post
Bangkok101 - Bangkok101
BK Magazine - BK Magazine

Jim Thompson

Jim Thompson

I have had the fortune of visiting every store in Bangkok.  Jim Thompson - oh how I love whoever it is that ensures that your products are always so exquisite to look at, touch and use. I love the colours, designs and when I cannot afford your retail shops.....I slum it down to the Jim Thompson Factory Sales Outlets:

Easy to get to and stocked with anything from lipstick cases, clothes, hand bags, bedding, something for every budget etc etc.....Covering 4 floors you can purchase materials by the roll and have a lovely cold refreshing drink and meal at their little cafe where I have always found the staff attentive.

153 Soi Sukhumvit 93, Bangchak,
Phakanong, Bangkok 10260
Tel: 02-332-6530-4, 02-742-4601-3

Open: 9.00am to 6.00pm

BTS - Bang Chak

Click on the link above for more details on all things Jim Thompson. 

Alot more than just the house as you will see.

Thompson Bar & Restaurant - Jim Thompson House

6/1 Soi Kasemsan 2,
Rama 1 Road, Bangkok
Tel: (662) 612 3601
Open from 9.00 to 19.00
(last food order 18.00)

Jim Thompson Cafe at Isetan

1st Floor — Isetan
Department Store
Central World Plaza
4/1-4/2 Rajadamri Road, Pathumwan, Bangkok, Thailand
Tel: (662) 255 9813-4
Open from 10.00 to 21.00

Chao Phraya Express Boat

Note: 
There is the Tourist Boat and commuter Boat. Depending on where you are travelling and based on the prices at the bottom of this page you may not need to purchase the day ticket at ฿150.



Chao Phraya Express Boat

Chao Phraya Tourist Boat: 9.30am - 4pm - ฿150 Valid for unlimited service per day.

         
The BTS Skytrain joins hands with Bangkok's biggest public water transportation provider, the Chao Phraya Express Boat Co.,Ltd. (established 38 years ago) to introduce a new water transportation service "The Chao Phraya Tourist Boat". This service provides tourists with the opportunity to see Bangkok from a whole new perspective, within one day, tourist can easily travel on high quantity boats from pier to pier without worrying about purchasing boat tickets or getting lost. Plus, they can visit many attractive tourist spots such as the temple of Dawn, and the great Reclining Buddha at Wat Pho.

Routing & Piers

         
The Chao Phraya Tourist Boat provides service to 8 piers, which in turn give access to Bangkok's most famous attractions. The journey starts from the Central pier adjacent to BTS Saphan Taksin Station s6 and proceeds up the river, stopping at 8 pier and returns back to Central Pier on the same route. You can freely get on and off at any pier to explore the beauty of sites in surrounding areas. Piers served by the Chao Phraya Tourist Boat are listed below :

1. Sathorn Pier
(connection with BTS Skytrain at Saphan Taksin Station)
2. Oriental Pier
3. Si Phraya Pier
4. Rajchawong Pier
5. Tha Tien Pier
6. Maharaj Pier
7. Wang Lang Pier
8. Phra Arthit Pier

Service Condition

• Unlimited rides on Chao Phraya Express Boat from Central Pier to Pha Arthit Pier
• This trip can be made on the stamped date only
• Passengers may take any other Chao Phraya Express Boat with the same route from 9.30 - 19.30 hrs. using One Day River Pass without paying extra charges

The Chao Phraya River plays many roles in Thai life, in fact it is regarded as the principal artery of the nation. Much of Thai history can be traced along the bands of the Chao Phraya River. As it flows, the river carries with it the history and culture of the country. The Chao Phraya Tourist Boat service takes you to 8 different piers providing access to Bangkok’s most famous attractions many of which are in the Rattanakosin Island Historic Area which was settled during the Thonburi and Rattanakosin eras. Old temples, palaces and communities along the Chao Phraya River banks tell us that the Chao Phraya River has Provided livelihood for the people and has led to the birth of a civilization.

ORANGE FLAG BOAT
Route : Nonthaburi (N30) - Wat Rajsingkorn (S3)
Operation : Everyday 06.00 - 19.00 hrs.
Fares : 15 Baht

GREEN FLAG BOAT
Route : Pakkred (N33) - Nonthaburi (N30) - Sathorn (Centre)
Operation : Monday - Friday Morning Service 06.15 - 08.10 hrs. Afternoon Service 15.30 - 18.05 hrs.
Fares : 13 / 20 / 32 Baht (Depends on distance) 

YELLOW FLAG BOAT
Route : Nonthaburi (N30) - Sathorn (Centre) - Ratburana (S4)
Operation : Monday - Friday Morning Service 06.15 - 08.30 hrs. Afternoon Service 15.30 - 20.00 hrs.
Fares : 20 / 29 Baht  (Depends on distance)

Paragon Cineplex

You may be thinking..."I am on holidays why would I want to go to the cinema?" Paragon Cineplex

- Airconditioned
- Take a load off the tired feet
- Its cheap (tickets and snacks)


Whilst there are a number of cinema's in Bangkok -  I visit the Paragon Cineplex as they have multiple cinemas to suit any budget. So if I am flush with cash I might go to IMAX or the Ultra Screens.  If I am on a budget - I am catered for there as well with tickets starting from 100B. Also if you choose not to hit the food hall in the Basement the popcorn and drinks are also reasonably priced.

Paragon Cineplex is on the 5th Floor of Siam Paragon. Get there by foot, bus, taxi and BTS (Siam).

The link Paragon Cineplex has all you need to know. Timings, which films are in English, cinema type etc


The quality of these cinemas make the movie experience such a memorable one...enjoy!

Suvarnabhumi Airport

Click on this link for real time information that covers transportation to and from the airport, food, accommodation, shopping options etc:  Suvarnabhumi Airport

How is it pronounced
"su-wan-na-poom"

Official name
Suvarnabhumi Airport. The name Suvarnabhumi was chosen by HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej which means "The Golden Land", specifically referring to the continental Indochina. "Golden Peninsula"or "Golden Land" is a traditional name for the Thailand-Cambodia-Laos-Burma region.

Location
The airport is located in Racha Thewa in the Bang Phli district of Samut Prakan province, 

30 kilometers east of Bangkok.

Airport Hotel
Above the underground rail link station and in front of the passenger terminal building is the 600-room hotel operated by Accor Group under the Novotel Suvarnabhumi brand. 

Suvarnabhumi Airport Bangkok - Behind the design.

Thailand
1995-2006
Helmut Jahn of Murphy/Jahn Architects

PASSENGER TERMINAL COMPLEX: SUVARNABHUMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Photos : Rainer Viertlböck



The passenger terminal complex at Suvarnabhumi Airport resulted from an International Competition and established the basis of collaboration between Werner Sobek, Matthias Schuler and Helmut Jahn. The challenge was great and unusual. The task of creating a new gateway to Thailand in a tropical climate necessitated a different approach to architecture and engineering. Through the integration of the disciplines the complex problem resulted in a sophisticated, intelligent yet simple solution. After 11 years of planning and construction the Terminal is set to open for passenger traffic in late 2006.

The design took into consideration Murphy/Jahn’s experience with airport terminal design, starting in the 1950’s. Those buildings included O’Hare International Airport in Chicago and particularly the New United Airlines Terminal of the mid 1980’s and the near completed renovation of Terminals 3 for American Airlines and Terminals 2, the work in the commercial zone of the New Munich Airport which included the Kempinski Hotel, the Munich Airport Center and Infrastructure, Parking and landscaped areas and the new Terminal 2 at the Airport in Cologne/Bonn.



It also responded to the challenge that airports today are a New Building Type. They have become a strange combination of Transportation Center and ‘Mall’. They constitute cities outside cities and give the first and last impression of a city, region or country. They are places to meet for people of all facets of life.

Architecturally important seem to us the openness and comprehension and experience of the open spaces, the gesture of the roof and spaces as memorable images and the way the blurring of the boundaries between public and private space make an airport terminal a model of a ‘Mini-City’. Like in a city the experience leads through squares, streets and rooms for transportation, commerce and private uses.

In the design and execution of Suvarnabhumi Airport, innovative and integrated architectural, structural and environmental design were used, new materials and systems of advanced technology were developed and unusual construction processes required to meet the design goals.



The results are advanced long span, lightweight steel structures, exposed pre-cast concrete structures, clear or low e-coated glass, a three layer translucent membrane, integrated cooling, using water as a low energy carrier and the thermal mass of concrete and a displacement ventilation system with minimal air-changes.

Those components and parts serve in their total composition and in use more than in their conventional roles. They maximize daylight and comfort, yet minimize the use of energy with significant life cycle cost savings. The installed cooling power is reduced close to 50% compared to a conventional system. The three layer translucent membrane was developed to mediate between the exterior and interior conditions, dealing with heat and noise transmission, while still allowing for natural daylight within the building.

The result is a building flooded with controlled daylight in a tropical climate. Architect and engineers speak here the same language, a process we refer to as Archi-Neering: the architect thinks about the technical consequences of the forms he designs and the engineers consider the aesthetic results of their concepts and decisions.

In a building with such advanced technical concept and construct it is important to establish a connection to local cultural tradition and art. This is done through the shaded gardens flanking the terminal, which represent Thai landscape in cities and in the country, a jungle garden between the terminal and concourse, traditional artistic patterns and colors on glazed surfaces and floors and Thai artifacts placed at the airside centers and concourses.

This combination makes Suvarnabhumi Airport Thailand’s own Gateway to the World.

Helmut Jahn

Suvarnabhumi Airport images / information from Murphy/Jahn Architects 150508

Suvarnabhumi Airport : Murphy/Jahn Architects

Suvarnabhumi Airport Bangkok - Building Information

Architect: Murphy/Jahn
Associate Architect / Engineer: ACT Consultants.
Project Management: TAMS Consultants / Earth Tech
Structural Concept / Concourse Superstructure/ Facades: Werner Sobek Ingenieure
Climate and Environmental Concept: Transsolar Energietechnik
Main Terminal Superstructure: Martin/Martin
Structural Concrete: John A. Martin & Associates
Mechanical / Electrical / Plumbing: Flack + Kurtz
Lighting Art: Yann Kersalé
Baggage Consultant: BNP Associates, Inc.
ITO Joint Venture General Contractor:
Italian-Thai Development, Takenaka Corporation, Obayashi Corporation

MRT - Mass Rapid Transport

The other modern piece of transportation that benefits travellers in Bangkok is the MRT.  Again, it is clean, cheap and convenient.  I use it in conjunction with the BTS.   When I travel to Chatuchak Market I no longer take the BTS to Mo Chit as it can be a long hot walk amongst hundreds of people. I take the MRT to Kamphaeng Phet and I am smack bang in my favourite part of the market with access to toilets, food and the beginning of my journey of discovery - whether revisiting favoured shops or finding new stalls.  On the other side is Hua Lamphong.  The main railway station - where other journeys begin or access to the Golden Buddha and Chinatown. In between you have Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre - do not overlook this station.  Often advertised in the Bangkok Post and on their website are the many conventions that are open to the public - from Travel to Electronics and Shoes a focus on Issan. The food hall is not back either and works by purchasing coupons.

There are many options when buying tickets.

1. Single Journey Token

•  Adult Token - Issued from both Ticket Vending Machine and Ticket Office

 •  Child / Elder Token - Only issued at Ticket Office

2. Stored Value Card - a smart card which can be stored and topped up value for multiple rides

3. Period Pass - a smart card which can be used for multiple rides in limited day period

Lofty Bamboo - MBK & Khao San Rd

If you are unable to get to Khao San Rd another good spot though with a limited range is the Lofty Bamboo. Each time I visit I manage to pick up a few items from this lovely little shop and they are very reasonably priced.  Their website does not make reference to the store in MBK so it is best to look at the MBK website for the exact location.  
Level 2 on the BTS end - Shop 2A - 13

http://www.loftybamboo.com/