- Paperback: 170 pages
- Publisher: Avalon Travel Publishing; 3rd Revised edition edition (25 Nov 1999)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1566911591
- ISBN-13: 978-1566911597
- Product Dimensions: 18.7 x 13.1 x 1.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 2,764,499 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Product Description
This book begins with an introduction to the culture and history of Bangkok, touching on themes of economics, government, art and religion. The author tells travellers where to find theatres, night markets, discos, and sports events.'
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First Sentence
The following sketches will provide a quick glimpse of the national highlights in and around Bangkok. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
The following sketches will provide a quick glimpse of the national highlights in and around Bangkok. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
This book contains a surprising amount of various information on Thailand. I don't know if there are better and newer books available today, but I found this one very good when I visited Thailand about 10 years ago.
The chapters include: Bangkok Basics, Bangkok Sights, Accommodations, Food, Entertainment and Shopping, East Coast and Vicinity of Bangkok. There are pages with maps, including Central Bangkok, Chinatown, Banglampoo, Silom, Sukhumvit, Pattaya, North Pattaya, South Pattaya.
The reason why I chose to buy this particular book was because it was the only one I could find that recognised the legitimacy of sex tourism. No, Mr. Parkes doesn't actually say anything so controversial in the book, but he gives clear advice like: this area is more suitable for couples, and that area is more suitable for single men. That's, I think, the best you can expect from a generic travel guide.
In particular, the book proved invaluable in Pattaya, of which I knew very little before. The book contained clear and concise maps of Pattaya's relevant areas, so I easily found the main area of what's euphemistically called "nightlife". Once I was there, finding a suitable hotel and places of action on my own was easy. I ended up spending awesome time.
My only complaint is that Mr. Parkes uses road names like Soi Yamato and Soi Post Office which may be commonly used among the experienced tourists and expats, but are not the ones you'll see on street signs. (It's Pattaya Soi 13/1 ja Pattaya Soi 13/2, respectively.) What was called "Central Pattaya Road" in the book turned out to be "Pattaya Klang Road" or something in the real world. That made finding my way in Pattaya somewhat more difficult than it had to be.
I should also mention that on the book's last page, there is a humour corner for non-English speakers. Among other things, it contains the image of a clock dial with 13 written next to 1, 14 written next to 2, and so on - the kind I remember we had in the kindergarten. :-))
The chapters include: Bangkok Basics, Bangkok Sights, Accommodations, Food, Entertainment and Shopping, East Coast and Vicinity of Bangkok. There are pages with maps, including Central Bangkok, Chinatown, Banglampoo, Silom, Sukhumvit, Pattaya, North Pattaya, South Pattaya.
The reason why I chose to buy this particular book was because it was the only one I could find that recognised the legitimacy of sex tourism. No, Mr. Parkes doesn't actually say anything so controversial in the book, but he gives clear advice like: this area is more suitable for couples, and that area is more suitable for single men. That's, I think, the best you can expect from a generic travel guide.
In particular, the book proved invaluable in Pattaya, of which I knew very little before. The book contained clear and concise maps of Pattaya's relevant areas, so I easily found the main area of what's euphemistically called "nightlife". Once I was there, finding a suitable hotel and places of action on my own was easy. I ended up spending awesome time.
My only complaint is that Mr. Parkes uses road names like Soi Yamato and Soi Post Office which may be commonly used among the experienced tourists and expats, but are not the ones you'll see on street signs. (It's Pattaya Soi 13/1 ja Pattaya Soi 13/2, respectively.) What was called "Central Pattaya Road" in the book turned out to be "Pattaya Klang Road" or something in the real world. That made finding my way in Pattaya somewhat more difficult than it had to be.
I should also mention that on the book's last page, there is a humour corner for non-English speakers. Among other things, it contains the image of a clock dial with 13 written next to 1, 14 written next to 2, and so on - the kind I remember we had in the kindergarten. :-))
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4 reviews
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
From a Bangkok expatriate
16 May 2000
I first picked up the initial edition of Bangkok Handbook in 1992. As I worked in Bangkok for 7 years in the 1980s and I was a bit curious as to how deep this guide would go. While most guide books cover all the basic sights and things to do they often fall short in really getting under the surface. This book did indeed have things to teach me. I ended up taking some of the walking tours myself and used the map of the river stops extensively.
I like my guides to give my some good historical and cultural information in a concise but insightful manner. Take Thai temples. First time visitors are typically struck by their stunning beauty. But what do all the architectural forms mean? What aspects of Buddhism are contained within their design? You could read whole volumes on this at your local university. The Handbook, however has a two page spread that will get you up to speed fast with an understanding of the basic terminology and historical usage. To my mind this is what separates the Handbook from the more popular Lonely Planet travel survival guides. These "backpacker bibles" may be very good at where to get the cheapest rooms and meals, but really fall short on what you are really seeing while you are there.
Bangkok is both heaven and hell. It's city of fabulous restaurants, fantastic shopping, pristine temples and frantic sex. It's polluted, noisy, smelly, ill-planned and hot, hot, hot. And It's traffic is world famous. We used to joke that you could do anything you wanted in Bangkok; you just couldn't get there. (Over the last few years with the advent of many new tollways and since Dec. 99 the overhead trains this has really abated.)
I've used Parkes book a lot - along with my reprint of the "1928 Guide to Bangkok" which is great for my historical expeditions. And I have found myself in Thailand every year since I've left in 1990.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Better than Lonely Planet
18 Mar 2005
I brought both this book and Joe Cumming's Lonely Planet guide with me. I was glad I hauled both with me across the Pacific (you can never have too much information), but Carl's book was my clear favorite.
The Moon guide always seemed to bring me a bit closer to the Thais than the Lonely Planet guide -- it seemed like Carl is closer to "going native," or perhaps more empathetic than Joe. What a shame that it seems to be the less popular of the two.
Bring them both, but if you only want to buy/carry one, make it Carl's Moon Guide.
The Moon guide always seemed to bring me a bit closer to the Thais than the Lonely Planet guide -- it seemed like Carl is closer to "going native," or perhaps more empathetic than Joe. What a shame that it seems to be the less popular of the two.
Bring them both, but if you only want to buy/carry one, make it Carl's Moon Guide.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
great cultural education but make time to visit Chiang Mai
21 Mar 2001
Carl Parkes provides a great cultural education and writes well about Thai history. You'll be informed and your table manners won't offend your Thai hosts (they use forks and spoons but not the way that we do). More photos and maps would be nice (the D-K guide to Thailand will fill those gaps). But the big shortcoming with the book is the subject itself: Bangkok. Sophisticated and curious travelers to Thailand always say that their favorite spot is Chiang Mai in the north! You've got to fly through Bangkok to get there so you still may want to carve out a week to see Bangkok and environs. But do try to get to the north (Parkes also wrote the Moon Thailand Handbook, which will be useful if you do decide to visit Chiang Mai).
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