Bangkok Guide

The city, built on a low-lying coastal swamp, has a network of canals; though some have been lost to streets. Surviving canals, and the main Chao Phraya River, provide glimpses of a traditional waterborne way of life essentially unchanged over centuries. The river and canals can be explored by chartered boat or cruise.

There is also a dinner cruise - ‘Riverine Bangkok’ offers some enchanting sights, particularly at night when reflections enhance the water with flickering lights. Travel within the city is best by bus and train, with a cheap and frequent mass transit system. Must-sees in Bangkok include the Grand Palace - the king’s official residence - and several national museums, one of which is world’s largest golden teak building.

You are spoiled for choice when it comes to shopping because this activity is not limited to one or two major streets - there are some 15 malls across the city, as well as the Chatuchak weekend market and the floating markets. Theatre shows are generally of the local culture - indoor and outdoor - and include traditional puppet shows, but you will also find Broadway, and for something special there’s the famous Ladyboy Show - billed as a wildly talented troupe of transvestite entertainers. There are all sorts of hotel - luxury, boutique, budget, business, nightlife and even shopping.

Two can stay in the four-star Marriott Resort and Spa, set in lush gardens by the river, from about £190 per night. There’s local bed and breakfast from about £15 per night per person, and for groups, there are hostels from about £8 per night for those willing to share. Dining out, in which other city might you find a restaurant named Cabbages and Condoms (yes, you get both for the price at this community education outreach programme)? Check out the Food Court for an amazing variety of street food - there’s every cuisine in this city, from Italian and Tapas to Thai; you can even dine in the floating market, at ‘hospitable’ prices, and most restaurants are classified as cheap or affordable.

As for the serious nightlife, those Go-Go bars that earned Bangkok its notoriety are still go-go, though the Patpong district is now part of a wider entertainment scene that includes a night market, night clubs and gay bars. With the Vietnam war - when American servicemen came for R & R with local girls - certain areas of Bangkok became a by-word the world over for sex and sleaze. But it all started far longer ago, the flesh trade is nothing new - there was a thriving sex industry in Siam reported by visiting sailors in the C16th and C17th.

But surprisingly, this can be a destination for family holidays too, with plenty of activities for kids: discovery centres, water parks, Ocean World, and others. And they will always enjoy a trip to beaches at Pattaya - only about two hours out of Bangkok.