Thailand is the world's 51st-largest country by total area. It is slightly smaller than Yemen and slightly larger than Spain.Totalling 513,120 square kilometres (198,120 sq mi).Thailand is divided into 76 provinces which are gathered into 5 groups of provinces by location. There are also 2 special governed districts: the capital Bangkok (Krung Thep Maha Nakhon) and Pattaya, of which Bangkok is at provincial level and thus often counted as a province.Each province is divided into districts and the districts are further divided into sub-districts.
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| Bangkok at dawn |
Thailand travel is becoming more and more popular, and it is easy to see why; the delicious food it has to offer, the picturesque white sandy beaches, and the friendly people that have made Thailand famous for being 'the land of smiles'.
Upon arriving in
Bangkok at the beginning of your
Thailand holiday, you will be immediately captivated by the Asian style architecture. You'll fly into
Suvarnabhumi airport which has recently been renovated and is extremely stylish with its statues, Thai style decorations and its gold-leaf Buddhas.
You can get one of the numerous multi-colored taxis to take you into the hustle and bustle of Bangkok city. Once there, you will be greeted with the street food stalls selling everything from
Pad-Thai, satay chicken..After grabbing some lunch I would recommend heading to one of the many massage spas to relax yourself after your long international flight. I paid 150 THB for an hour long Thai massage on Soi Rambuttri and I have to say it was one of the best massages I have ever had. I left the salon feeling so relaxed and ready for whatever Bangkok had to throw at me.
Bangkok is famous for its variety of
breath-taking temples and if you're planning to visit any of them, make sure you are dressed appropriately or you'll not be allowed in. Shorts, sleeveless shirts or spaghetti-strap tops will not be allowed so I would suggest wearing a pair of cotton trousers and a t-shirt. The first place I would suggest visiting is the Grand Palace (also known as
Wat Phra Kaew). This is the former residence of the Thai monarch and is one of Bangkok's main tourist attractions. You can enter from 8.30 in the morning until 3.30pm and I would highly recommend it as the building covered in jewels and gold-leaf is possibly the most beautiful in the country.
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| The largest reclining Buddha |
You may also have heard of the
reclining Buddha, which is also a must see for tourists in Bangkok. It is the world's largest reclining Buddha at 46m long and 15m wide. This can be found at the
Wat Pho in Bangkok and is as impressive in real-life as it sounds. The Buddha is made out of plaster and has been completely covered in gold-leaf.
You can visit any of these attractions by either taxi or
tuk-tuk. The taxis tend to be a lot cheaper as they run on a meter and you will find them very economical - about $3 for a 25 minute journey! However, during your Thailand travel experience in Bangkok, you have to have a go on a tuk-tuk. They are notorious for quoting ridiculous prices so make sure you haggle, however, you won't be disappointed by the journey that's in store for you. They are a very fast and fun way to get around the city and have been known to go at extremely fast speeds. There is also a sky-train running in Bangkok which is fast, clean, cheap and probably my favourite way of getting around.
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| Tuk Tuk |
I would recommend getting a sky-train map and having a go. It's a great way to see the city as you can look down and watch the hustle and bustle of the city from your nice air-conditioned carriage.
Accommodation wise, there are some really cheap digs to be found in and around the
Khao San Road area. During your Thailand trip in Bangkok, I would recommend trying
Soi Rambuttri first as the hotels on the Khao San Road tend to be more expensive and not as good quality. If you are looking for a really cheap room, you can probably find one for around £4 in a budget hotel. If you spend a little more however, you can easily afford a nice hotel with a pool on the roof. The pool is a great way to cool down in the tropical, humid, weather and also as a nice haven away from the city outside.
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