Bangkok is a large city, modern and Westernised and humming with
nightlife and fervour. Administratively, it is split up into 50 khet
(districts), but these are more often used in official business and
for addresses. Visitors will find the conceptual division below more
useful.
Just under 14 degrees north of the Equator, Bangkok is a tropical
metropolis that is also one of the most traveller-friendly cities in
Asia. A furious assault on the senses, visitors are immediately
confronted by the heat, the pollution and the irrepresible smile
that accompanies all Thais. Despite the sensationalized
international news reports and first impressions, the city is
surprisingly safe and more organized than it initially appears, and
full of hidden gems waiting to be discovered. The high relative
humidity and warm temperature favor the growth of tropical plants —
you'll find exotic orchids and delicious fruit everywhere.
Bougainvillea and frangipani bloom practically everywhere. Thai
cuisine is justifiably famous, varied, and affordable. Bangkok for
many, represents the quintessential Asian capital. Saffron-robed
monks, garish neon signs, graceful Thai architecture, spicy dishes,
colourful markets, traffic jams, and the tropical climate come
together in a happy coincidence. It is difficult to leave with
lukewarm impressions of the city.
Bangkok not only has plenty of Thai restaurants, but a
wide-selection of world-class international cuisine too. Prices are
generally high by Thai standards, but cheap by international
standards; a good meal is unlikely to cost more than 300 baht,
although there are a few restaurants (primarily in hotels) where you
can easily spend 10 times this. Of course, for those on a budget
street stalls abound with noodle & meals at around 30 baht.
Try:
Phad Thai and curry at shops everywhere.
Tom Yum Goong, you must try one of Thailand's most famous soup.
Street vendors selling satay with hot sauce (for 5-10 baht a piece).
Finding a kanom roti street vendor is a must if you like sweets. The
crepe-like dessert is filled with sweetened condensed milk, lots of
sugar, and can also have bananas inside. Also fascinating to watch
them being made.
Bugs - yes, insects. They are deep fried, nutritious and quite tasty
with the soy sauce that is sprayed on them. Types available:
scorpions, water beetles, grasshoppers, crickets, bamboo larvae,
mealworms, and some more seasonal specialties. Note: break off the
legs from grasshoppers and crickets or they will get stuck in your
throat.
Chinatown has a range of street stalls and cheap restaurants selling
food (try 1kg of huge barbecued prawns or tom yam with prawns for
300 baht) to the discerning local population.
All the Thai restaurant chains covered in the main Thailand article.
Restaurants featuring cuisine from all over the world on Sukhumvit
Road and Khao San Road.
The go-go bar is an institution of Bangkok's "naughty nightlife". In
a typical go-go, several dozen dancers in bikinis (or less) crowd
the stage, shuffling back and forth to loud music and trying to
catch the eye of punters in the audience. Some (but not all) also
put on shows where girls perform on stage, but these are generally
tamer than you'd expect — nudity, for example, is technically
forbidden. In a beer bar, there are no stages and the girls are
wearing street clothes.
If this sounds like a thinly veiled veneer for prostitution, it is.
Though some point to the large number of American GIs during the
Vietnam War as the point of origin of the Thai sex trade, others
have claimed that Thai lax attitudes towards sexuality have deeper
roots in Thai history. Both go-go and beer bars are squarely aimed
at the farang and it's fairly safe to assume that most if not all
Thais in them are on the take. That said, it's perfectly OK to check
out these shows without actually partaking, and there are more and
more curious couples and even the occasional tour group attending.
The main areas are around Patpong, Nana Entertainment Plaza and Soi
Cowboy.
