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A stroll round
the lanes of Chinatown, or a boat ride along the canals of
Thonburi, again afford fascinating insights into Bangkok's
past. But for an inkling of the city's quintessential
character you can't do better than visit the Erawan Shrine,
dedicated to Brahma and widely regarded as the most potent
source of good luck.
Devotees flock daily to make
offerings and pray for success in all manner of things from childbirth to
winning the lottery, and there is heaps of atmosphere with the heady scent
of incense and jasmine flower garlands, plus gorgeously costumed classical
dancers. Everything is all the more startling for its incongruous location
on the traffic-congested corner of Rajdamri and Ploenchit roads in the
shadow of luxury hotels and shopping malls. Indeed, the Erawan shrine is
Bangkok at its most serendipitous, and it can tell you more about the city
and its people than a whole tour of the more obvious sights.
As culturally and
historically fascinating as Bangkok is, however, it cannot be denied it is
also a sybaritic city. In their unique character the Thais combine a respect
for traditions with a joyful exuberance, a love of sanuk, having a good
time. Here the modern aspects of the capital complement the old and offer a
host of pleasures.
Not least is the joy of
dining. Thai cuisine, rich and spicy, is a true gourmet's delight affording
a huge variety of dishes to discover and relish. Seafood is also a national
speciality and fish, crab, lobsters, shrimps and more are to be enjoyed in
either spicy Thai style or in Continental recipes. And should you ever wish
for change, Bangkok has restaurants serving just about every national
cuisine deserving of the name from both East and West.
To match the variety of
menus is the choice of eating places. From simple but good kerbside food
stalls and right up through the whole dining gamut to elegant, expensive
restaurants and dinner cruises on the river, there is something to suit all
tastes and pockets.
When it comes to
entertainment and nightlife, Bangkok has something for everyone. From
displays of classical Thai dance to cocktail lounges and discos, the choice
is wide open. Unique to Thailand, the traditional sport of kick boxing, in
which the protagonists use feet, knees and elbows in addition to gloved
fists, is especially thrilling. Bouts are held most nights of the week at
one or other of Bangkok' two boxing stadiums. This is the country's most
popular spectator sport and should not be missed -- the reaction of the
aficionados, cheering and yelling, is often as exciting as the action in the
ring.
For browser and dedicated
bargain hunter alike, Bangkok is a shopper's paradise. In recent years smart
plazas, malls and department stores have mushroomed to augment the
facilities provided by markets and ubiquitous street stalls. At the top of
anyone's shopping list should be Thai silk and gems and jewellery. Silk is a
traditional material now produced in a wide range of colours and designs and
offering excellent value. Bangkok is also a world centre for coloured
gemstones, and you will discover a superb selection of gems and finished
jewellery which, while not cheap, offer excellent superb value for money.
Other top buys include tailor-made clothing, leathergoods, Thai, Burmese and
Khmer antiques (some requiring export licenses) and an enormous array of
handicrafts in teakwood, ceramic, bronze and other traditional materials.
Upmarket shopping spots
include numerous posh plazas such as Siam Centre, World Trade Centre,
Peninsula Plaza and Gaysorn Plaza, but this being Bangkok, shopping options
further include the anomalous. Long established on the map but still
offering hours of browsing is the Weekend Market at Chatuchak Park, the
place for everything from pets to potted plants, cassettes to clothing, old
books to younger antiques. Then there is Seacon Square on Si Nakarin Road,
Asia's largest shopping mall and the world's fifth largest, brimming with
shops, cinemas, amusement park, supermarket and restaurants, and drawing
crowds of suburban Bangkokians at weekends.
Bangkok is the "City of
Angels", a magic place where possibilities are limited only by the
imagination. With its myriad thrilling sights and scenes it is the perfect
complement to Thailand's more relaxed resort destinations.
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