Bangkok is first and foremost a fascinating mixture of chaos and tranquility. The city is big, overpopulated, noisy, crammed in every way – with people, with cars and every other kind of motorized vehicle, with buildings. But it also has – sometimes in the most unexpected places – quiet places, oases of peace. In the midst of the hustle and bustle you will find peaceful little streets lined with old teak houses and the bright colours of the magnificent chapels (bots and viharns) and towers (chedi) of the Buddhist monasteries and the peace and shade of the temple courtyards.

Bangkok is a strongly Western-oriented capital. Nevertheless, it has retained its roots and its Asian traditions. Bangkok is the political, cultural and economic center of the country. However, the rapid changes and increasing prosperity have also brought disadvantages. There is too much road traffic and the city often comes to a complete standstill.

The best and mostly 5-star hotels overlook the Chaophraya River, on the banks of which the Grand Palace can also be found. The huge area is home to Wat Phra Kaeo. The Buddha figure is made of a particularly bright green type of jade and is not, as one might assume, studded with emeralds. To visit the Grand Palace (as for many other cultural sites, by the way), certain dress rules apply. Women must wear a skirt that covers the knees. Men are expected to wear long trousers. In case of improper clothing, entry will be denied.

If you go upstream from the Grand Palace, you will come to the Royal Boathouse. Here you can admire the richly decorated royal barges, which are also used for special processions on the Chaophraya. Within Bangkok’s city limits, there are more than 300 temples and shrines. The most famous of them are Wat Benchamabophit (Marble Temple), Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn) and Wat Traimit (Temple of the Golden Buddha).

Speaking of Bangkok – the city is actually not called that! The correct and full name of Bangkok is: “Krung Thep Manakhon Bovorn Ratanskosin Magintharayutthaya Mahadilokpop Noparatratchathani Burirom Udomratchanivetmahasathan Avatartsathit Sakkathattiya Visnukarmrasit”, which translates as: “City of Angels, greatest of all cities, abode of the Emerald Buddha, impregnable fortress, immortal, precious jewel, exceedingly powerful, time-honored, nine times adorned with jewels, heavenly city, donated by Indra and rebuilt by Vishnu”. The Thais call the city for short: “Krung Thep” (City of Angels). It was founded by King Rama I, who also had Wat Phra Kaew and the Grand Palace built.

One of the largest temple complexes in the country is WatPho. The entire complex consists of over 30 temples, of which the Temple of the Reclining Buddha is the largest. With a length of over 44 m and a height of 15 m, this Buddha figure has incredible dimensions.

We can definitely recommend a visit to the many colorful markets, especially the famous floating market. However, we heard that it has become more and more of a tourist attraction in recent years. Other attractions include the LakMuang (city stone), the Erawan Shrine, where fresh offerings are made daily, and the National Museum. In the Suan Pakkard Palace you can see valuable antiques.

The sights also include the house of the American silk merchant Jim Thompson, who disappeared without a trace in Malaysia in 1967, which was converted into a museum of decorative arts. Equally interesting are the Bangkok Zoo and the snake farm of the Red Cross Center. The distances between these attractions are quite long. They can hardly be done on foot. We definitely recommend the use of a taxi, especially since the costs for this are very low.