Less than 250 years have passed since a small village called Bang Makok, home to a community of Chinese merchants used to trade with the capital of Kingdom of Siam, Ayutthaya, became the capital of what, in 1939, would become the Kingdom of Thailand.
Advocate of the relocation, King Rama the First, had a series of majestic buildings erected, amongst which a lavish Royal Palace where an statue emerald representing the Buddha was kept, which you can still admire at the Wat Phra Kaew temple and from which the first name of the city originated: Rattanakosin, “The city of the Jewel”.
Called by its own population Krung Thep, “The City of Angels”, an abbreviation of a ceremonial name so long and unpronounceable to be listed in the Guinness Book of Records, this little former village of traders has become a metropolis in constant change, set halfway between Eastern and Western way of life, known throughout the world as Bangkok.
It is chaotic, without a “directional sense”, without neither head nor tail, without a real city centre. Yes, it is all true, but this capital suspended between past and present, between the ultra-modern and the old, the luxurious and the rundown, is lovable for its excesses and unbearable for its traffic. It is in this metropolis of more than six million souls where technology and superstition alternate, and where you breathe a strong spirituality by visiting its temples, contrasting with the noises of a daily life today hopelessly projected toward the future. It is here where strong smells penetrate evocative alleys as well as large road arteries, in this capital that, with its merits and its flaws, remains one of the most charming and secure destinations in the world.
For the visitor who arrives in Bangkok, the impact could not be happy. Especially during the first time one can feel as if lost in a world that does not belong to us. We feel disoriented, clueless, insecure, and completely disconnected from the reality that surrounds you. Then we begin to immerse ourselves amongst its magnificent temples and their roofs in the form of a snake’s scales, in the colours of the means of transportation, of flowers, and of the night lights.
We lose ourselves in that sense of ancient culture that wraps us in places like Wat Po and Wat Arun; we abandon ourselves amongst the smells of food and incense; we advance along canals where people live their lives, between children who swim in murky waters and floating markets where goods are still exchanged from boat to boat as in times past; we relax under wise hands that alternate strength and delicacy, performing the old art of massage.
It is with these small things that Bangkok conquers you, in this past which is present and will be future; with this fanciful navigation in time where the only true reality is the friendliness of the people, their smile, their sense of hospitality, people who offer their best face, one that is still more than ever the mysterious face of the East.
In the last 2 decades Bangkok has experienced a rapid development in every sector and, for what concerns us more closely, has seen the proliferation of various attractions, more or less touristic, in the world of culture, entertainment and social life and, not least in the revival of its traditions.
For the traveller who arrives in the city, the Bangkok scene proposes, in addition to the temples mentioned later, characteristic and local life glimpses such as the Floating Market, the Kudee Jeen district, the Chatuchack Market, also known as the weekend market.
In addition to the old, you can then immerse yourself in those modernity made of shopping centres, to indulge in a shopping that satisfies any type of wallet, or linger in outdoor complexes such as the Asiatique, on the bank of the Chao Phaya River.
But probably in the evening Bangkok offers the best of itself with its variety of restaurants offering all kinds of local and foreign cuisine, with its street food popping up everywhere; in its terraces that from the top of gigantic skyscrapers allow to dominate the city leaving the traffic to flow below, as if it were not part of this reality.
Finally, don't miss the chance to indulge in the masterly and relaxing hands of expert masseurs in one of the countless spas, to relax with traditional Thai massages, aromatic oils or other pleasurable treatments to unwind after a tiring day exploring Bangkok.
A stay in Bangkok cannot be considered complete without having participated in some of the main daily excursions to ensure a thorough knowledge of the City of Angels, accompanied by qualified guides speaking English, in small groups or privately. From the more classic ones like the Royal Palace, the main temples of the city, the Floating Market and the Railway Market to more original excursions such as night outings organized on board of Tuk Tuk to discover the night of Bangkok and the more traditional street food.