Attractions information

Klong Toey Port

Klong Toey Port is where the smaller cruise ships dock when they visit Bangkok. The port is 26 kilometers up the Chao Phraya River and is right in the heart of Bangkok city.

It's commonly known as Bangkok Port and was Thailand's only major port for sea transportation of cargo from 1938 until 1991.

The construction of Klong Toey Port began in 1938 and finished after the end of World War II.

The port is located on the Chao Phraya River not far from Gulf of Thailand. Due to its limited capacity and traffic problems caused by semi-trailer trucks, much of the shipping operation has been moved to the new container terminal at Laem Chabang in Chon Buri Province.

In the past Klong Toey was the major night entertainment area for the whole city of Bangkok. It had its heyday in the 1960's and 1970's dying out almost completely in the 1980's when the Bangkok Port Authority claimed the land that was home to the majority of the night entertainment venues.

The whole area is a bit tatty and grubby, like any port, but the positive side for the cruise ships docking here is that they are right in the centre of Bangkok and are not subjected to the two-hour drive from Laem Chabang.

Cruise ships using Klong Toey Port during the 2009-2010 season include Azamara Quest, Seabourn Odyssey, Seabourn Pride & Oceania Nautica.

Attractions information

Wat Saket Golden Mount

The Golden Mount or 'Phu Khao Thong' is part of the Wat Saket temple located just outside the old royal city precincts, next to the Pom Mahakhan fort.

There are about 300 steps in all & it's not a strenuous climb, as the slope is quite gentle and there are numerous spots to stop and see something.
The Golden Mount has a somewhat unusual history in that it was expanded by King Rama III, who wanted to build a large chedi on the site to mark the entrance to the city. However, the soft marshy ground could not support such a large structure and it collapsed before it was completed.

During the late-18th century the temple served as the capital's crematorium. During the following 100 years, the temple became the dumping ground for some 60,000 plague victims who were not allowed to be buried within the royal city precincts.

From the ground, a wide stairway spirals up and around the sides of the mount and the short steps ensure you don't expend too much energy.

The best time to visit the temple is during the cool season from late November to January, when not only is the temperature much cooler, but the frangipani trees around the base are in bloom, giving off their wonderful jasmine-like smell.

In the first week of November, Wat Saket hosts an annual temple fair with lots of lanterns.

Attractions information

Wat Pho Reclining Buddha Temple

Wat Pho, located next to the Grand Palace, is the one of the largest & oldest temples in Bangkok and is home to more than one thousand Buddha images. The most impressive of which is the huge Reclining Buddha measuring 46 metres long & 15 metres high with mother of pearl inlaid in its eyes & feet.

Wat Phra Chetuphon Vimolmangklararm Rajwaramahaviharn is commonly known as Wat Pho and the temple complex consists of two walled compounds bisected by Soi Chetuphon running east-west.

The northern walled compound is where the Reclining Buddha and famed massage school for the blind are found. If you go for a massage make sure you ask for 'soft'!

The southern walled compound, Tukgawee, is a working Buddhist monastery with monks in residence and a school.

The principal Buddha image is "Phra Buddha Deva Patimakorn" in a gesture of seated Buddha on a three tiered pedestal called Phra Pang Smardhi (Lord Buddha in the posture of concentration), and some ashes of King Rama I are kept under the pedestal.

Made as part of Rama III's restoration, the Reclining Buddha is decorated with gold plating on his body and mother of pearl on his eyes and the soles of his feet. Each foot is 3 metres high & 5 metres long and displays 108 auspicious signs portraying natural scenes of both Indian and Chinese influences.

Attractions information

Grand Palace Bangkok

The Grand Palace is the most spectacular place in Bangkok, so if you only see one thing whilst in the city, this is the place to see.Thai people respectfully refer to it as Phra Borommaharatchawang. It served as the official residence of the King of Thailand from the 18th -20th century.

The Grand Palace complex, construction of which began in 1782 during the reign of King Rama I, sits on the east bank of the Chao Phraya River and is surrounded by a defensive wall 1,900 metres in length, which encloses an area of 218,400 square metres. Within its walls, in times past, were the Thai war ministry, state departments, and even the mint.

Within the palace complex are several impressive buildings including Wat Phra Kaeo or the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, which contains the revered Emerald Buddha that dates back to the 14th century.

Thai Kings stopped living in the palace in the middle of the twentieth century, but the royal residence is still used by visiting dignitaries.

Important Information

A strict dress code applies here. The Grand Palace and The Temple of the Emerald Buddha is Thailand's most sacred site. Visitors must be properly dressed before being allowed entry to the temple. Men must wear long pants and shirts with sleeves. No tank tops or singlets. Women must be similarly modestly dressed. No see-through clothes or bare shoulders. No shorts or tights. Proper shoes must be worn. No flip flops.

Attractions information

Lunch in a Thai Restaurant

Thai food has a range of tastes to suit all pallets so please don't make the mistake of thinking that all Thai food is spicy. Some dishes are very spicy but there are many which are not spicy at all. Rather, they are a wonderful combination of sweet and sour.

Thai dishes are normally shared by all.
Thai Cuisine is well-known for being hot and spicy and for its balance of the five fundamental flavors in the overall meal - hot (spicy), sour, sweet, salty, and bitter.

Thai food has four regional cuisines corresponding to the four main regions of the country: Northern, Northeastern (or Isan), Central, and Southern, each cuisine featuring locally grown food.

Southern curries, for example, tend to contain coconut milk and fresh turmeric, while northeastern dishes often include lime juice. The cuisine of Isan is heavily influenced by Laos.

Many popular dishes eaten in Thailand were originally Chinese dishes which were introduced to Thailand mainly by Teochew people who make up the majority of the Thai Chinese. Such dishes include Jok, Kway teow Rad Na, Khao Kha Moo and Khao Mun Gai.

Thai food is known for its enthusiastic use of fresh rather than dried herbs and spices as well as fish sauce.

Attractions information

Jim Thompson House

Jim Thompson was an American who settled in Thailand after the end of the Second World War. He devoted himself to revitalizing a cottage industry of hand-woven silk, which was dying out.

His house was built from parts of six antique Thai houses which had been dismantled and brought to Bangkok.
Jim Thompson located a group of Muslim weavers in the Bangkok neighborhood of Bangkrua and provided hitherto unavailable color-fast dyes, standardized looms, and technical assistance to those interested in weaving on a piece-work basis.

His endeavour showed a profit from its first year of operation. Thompson's determination to keep his company cottage-based was significant for the women who made up the bulk of his work force.

In 1958 he began what was to be the pinnacle of his architectural achievement, a new home to showcase his art collection. Formed from parts of six antique Thai houses, his home sits on a canal across from Bangkrua, where his weavers were then located. Most of the 19th century houses were dismantled and moved from Ayutthaya, but the largest - a weaver's house, now the living room - came from Bangkrua.

During Easter 1967, Jim Thompson disappeared while on holiday in the Cameron Highlands of Malaysia. An extensive and extended search failed to reveal any clues about his disappearance.