The area is best known for inexpensive ready-made clothing, which is sold partly in a street market where bargaining is the order of the day. Major hotels include the Amari Watergate and the Indra Regent. A few hundred metres west along Phetchaburi Road from the Amari Watergate Hotel and across the street, is an enormous computer goods establishment called Pantip Plaza for the cyber-connoisseur, devoted to hardware, software and other electronic goods. It offers incredibly good value. This is a place to spend a whole day in, the true Aladdin’s cave for computer geeks.

Besides major hotels including the Shangri-La, the Royal Orchid Sheraton, the Holiday Inn and the Oriental, this area contains a major gemstone-dealing and jewellery manufacturing area and houses boutiques, art galleries, department stores and plazas, including the River City Complex where a wide selection of goods can be found everywhere with an emphasis on antiques, tailored clothing and contemporary Thai and Asian paintings.

Over the last two decades, there has been an explosion in golf course building, as more land has become available for exploitation. Today, Bangkok and Samut Prakan can boast many modern, professionally run courses, many of them designed by famous golfing names from Europe and America.

Golfing in Thailand is a golfer’s dream. The courses are welldesigned, very cheap compared to their Western counterparts, and caddies are always available.

In the nineteenth century, Bangkok’s had a complex network of canals that served as the major arteries of transportation. The population drew upon the river not only for transport but also for accommodation and trade, with stilted houses thronging the riverbanks and foreign ships arriving in Bangkok. Hence, Bangkok was once known as “The Venice of the East”. The river and canals can still be conveniently explored and offer the visitor a glimpse of that waterborne life of yesteryear.

The largest park in Bangkok is considered the “green lung” of the city. It is situated between Wireless and Ratchadamri Roads. Lined with trees and shrubs, many paths run through the park, and an artificial lake lies in the centre, where boats can be rented.

For Thais and visitors, it is an attractive place to visit and relax. In the morning, joggers use its many paths for keeping fit, and many Thai-Chinese people come here to do Tai Chi. There are restaurants within the park and plenty of places to find a cool drink.

Situated on Rama V Road, in the Dusit District, near the Royal Plaza, Bangkok’s oldest zoo contains a collection of popular African and Asian mammals and birds in a botanical garden. With an additional section for children, it is ideal for a family outing.

The zoo is open every day from 8.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. The admission fee is 30 baht for adults and 5 baht for children.

At the corner of Ratchadamri and Phloen Chit Roads, countless Thais and other Asian tourists who seek good luck visit this very popular shrine, as it is reputed to have the power of granting wishes. Many come to pay homage by offering flower garlands and pray to the four-headed image of the Hindu God “Brahma” to grant their wishes.

Located on Si Ayutthaya Road not far from the intersection of Phaya Thai, Suan Pakkad Palace is the former residence of Princess Chumbhot of Nagara Svarga, one of Thailand’s leading gardeners and art collectors.

In the compound of the palace, visitors will see 8 traditional Thai houses. Collections include: Asian art and antiques, seashells, mineral crystals, pottery and bronze objects from the prehistoric burial ground Ban Chiang, in Northeast Thailand. The complex is open daily from 9.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. and the entrance fee is 100 baht.

Constructed during the reign of King Rama III, this temple has a chapel with a wooden roof and is famous for its mural inside the chapel. The mural was painted several centuries ago.

Open daily from 9.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m.