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Do's and Dont's
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Outside Bangkok
Sights
Temples
Known in Thai as a ‘Wat’, temples are scattered throughout Bangkok and are hard to miss. Each Buddhist temple in Thailand will have at least one Monk that resides in the temple grounds. People will often take food and gifts to the temple and present them to the Monks in the early morning.
• Cover shoulders, wear trousers and remove shoes before entering
• Women should not touch Monks
• Some temples may not allow you to take photos inside
• In busy temples, do not step over a Thai person’s legs or belongings
• Respect Buddhism
Grand Palace & Wat Phra Kaew
The Grand Palace in Bangkok contains a host of glistening, golden temples in its grounds. Once the home of the King of Thailand, it is now prodominantly used for tourists and visiting Thai's. The main attraction is the Emerald Buddha.
As with almost every attraction in Thailand, there are two sets of prices for entry into the Grand Palace - one price for Thai's, one price for farang. Either way, its still cheap and well worth the visit. If you only do one sight-seeing activity in Bangkok, we would recommend that this is it.
Whilst at the Grand Palace you can drop in and see the huge 'Reclining Buddha' next door.
How to get the the Grand Palace:
If you are staying on or near Khao San road, you can easily walk to the Grand Palace. Just walk to the Gullivers end of Khao San road (see our map here) and turn left. Walk to the junction with the main road, and cross (carefully - the road is busy). On the other side of the road, walk along the long left hand side of the large park area, using the trees for some much needed shade. The palace is very obvious to the far end of the park. Just walk towards it, cross the road and your there.
Parks
Bangkok has a number of pleasent parks to escape the rush of city life. First up there is Dusit Park. This park is leafy and peaceful, and was based on European design by Rama V. The royal residesne was actually moved from the Grand Palace to this complex by Rama V. There are a number of buildings in the grounds, and there's a lot to see here. Dusit Zoo is also located here, and you could easily make a nice day of it.
Lumpini Park is a great park to check out in the Silom area. You can get there on the MRT by using either Silom or Lumpini stations. If you use Lumpini station, you can also check out the Suan Lum Night Bazaar, or Lumphini Boxing Stadium next door. The park itself is best viwed in the early morning, where you can catch people jogging, practicing t'ai chi, or lifting wieghts in the outdoor gym area. The park also see's activity in the early evening. There is a lake where you hire a pedalow, an open-air gym and swimming pool and tennis courts.
Shopping
Shopping in Bangkok is an absolute must. New shopping malls pop up all the time in Bangkok, and can offer a host of entertainment from shopping, bowling, ice skating through to cinemas and restuarants. Please check out our Shopping Page for more information.
As a quick quide, we recommend MBK and Platiunum for cheap clothes and accessories; Siam Paragon for up market designer clothes; and Chatuchak weekend market just for the experience.
