Bangkok (Miniguides) [Paperback]

The essential pocket guide to this vibrant city, the Rough Guide features informed accounts of every attraction from the royal island of Ratanakosin, to the fascinating weekend market at Chatuchak. Up-to-the-minute reviews of where to stay, eat, drink and shop, plus full details of the city's transport systems are also included. Excursions to the historic temples of Ayutthaya, the river Kwai and the floating markets at Damnoen Saduak are all covered as well.

Paul Gray has been a regular visitor to Thailand since 1987, when he taught English for a year in Chiang Mai. He now works as a managing editor at the Rough Guide office in London, and is the co-author of The Rough guide to Thailand. Lucy Ridout has spent most of the last decade travelling in and writing about Asia. She is the co-author of The Rough Guide to Thailand and The Rough Guide to Bali & Lombok, and has also written a handbook First Time Asia: A Rough Guide Special.

CITY OF ANGELS
When Rama I was crowned in 1782, he gave his new capital a grand 43-syllable name to match his ambitious plans for the building of the city. Since then 21 more syllables have been added. Krungthepmahanakhornbowornrattanakosinmahintarayutthayamahadilokpopnopparatratchathaniburiromudomratchaniwetmahasathanamornpimanavatarnsathitsakkathattiyavisnukarprasit is Guinness-certified as the longest place name in the world and roughly translates as "Great city of angels, the supreme repository of divine jewels, the great land unconquerable, the grand and prominent realm, the royal and delightful capital city full of nine noble gems, the highest royal dwelling and grand palace, the divine shelter and living place of the reincarnated spirits". Fortunately, all Thais refer to the city simply as Krung Thep, though plenty can recite the full name at the drop of a hat. Bangkok – "Village of the Plum Olive" – was the name of the original village on the Thonburi side; with remarkable persistence, it has remained in use by foreigners since the 1660s, when the French built a short-lived garrison fort in the area.

WHEN TO VISIT
Bangkok’s climate is governed by three seasons, though in reality the city sits firmly within the tropics and so enjoys warm days and nights year-round. The so-called cool season, which runs from November through February, is the pleasantest time to visit; days are invariably bright and clear, and temperatures average a manageable 27°C (though they can still reach a broiling 31°C at midday). Not surprisingly this is peak season for the tourist industry, so it’s well worth booking accommodation and flights in advance over this period; prices for hotel rooms are at their highest during this time, rising to a climax at Christmas and New Year. March sees the beginning of the hot season, when temperatures can rise to 36°C, and continue to do so beyond the end of April. During these sweltering months you’ll probably be glad of an air-conditioned hotel room and may find yourself spending more money than anticipated, simply because it’s more comfortable to travel across the city in!
an air-conditioned taxi rather than sweat it out on foot (though air-con buses are a good compromise option and the Skytrain the preferred alternative where available). The daily downpours that characterize the rainy season can come as a welcome relief, though being hot and wet is a sensation that doesn’t appeal to everyone. The rainy season varies in length and intensity from year to year, but usually starts with a bang in May, gathers force between June and August, and comes to a peak in September and October, when whole districts of the capital are flooded. Rain rarely lasts all day however, so as long as you’re armed with an umbrella, there’s no reason to reschedule your trip – and you’ll get more for your money, too, as many hotels and airlines drop their prices right down at this time of year.