Siam Niramit

Situated on Thiam Ruammit Road off Ratchadaphisek Road, about 100 metres from the Thailand Culutral Center.

Siam Niramit is a one-of-a-kind cultural theme complex offerring a world-class spectacular performance in a 2000-seat theatre.

The 80-minute show features 3 stories of Thailand's cultural heritage: Journey Back into History, Journey Beyond Imagination: The Three Realms and Journey Through Joyous Festivals, with the magic of state-of-the-art technology and special effects.

The show starts nightly at 8 pm. but visitors should arrive at 7 pm. to join a free guided tour to a Thai village in the compound. Restuarants and souvenir shops are also available.

Tickets cost 1,500 baht per person.

Contact Siam Niramit at Tel: 0 2649 92222 Fax: 0 2649 9200 for reservations. Click www.siamniramit.com for details and click www.thaiticketmaster.com for online booking till 30 december 2005.

Jim Thompson's Museum

This exquisite collection of traditional Thai house stands as a museum to the man who revived the Thai silk industry after the Second World War.

The story of James H.W. Thompson is one upon legends are made. After serving in the U.S.A. armed forces, Jim Thompson settled in Thailand and found the tremendous opportunity to re-establish the Thai silk industry. In recognition of his services to the country, he was bestowed the royal award of The Order of the White Elephant.

The company he founded, Jim Thompson Thai Silk, is recognized worldwide for its brilliant creations.

He was an avid collector of Asian artifacts and antiques and The Jim Thompson's House is possibly the epitome of his collection.

Before his mysterious disappearance in the Cameron Highland in Malaysia in 1967, his house was the talk of the town where he entertained his friends and visitors including the like of Somerset Maugham.

The house sits on approximately a half acre of land on Mahanak Canal. Ban Khrua village where his silk weavers lived and worked. Is just on the other side of the canal. To build the house he gathered 6 original traditional teak structure from different parts of the country and brought carpenter from Ayutthaya who completed the house in 1959.

The gardens are equally impressive with a lush tropical jungle imitating nature's haphazard beauty right in the center of the city.

Jim Thompsons connoisseur collection of antiques and artifacts is on permanent exhibition, making this a magnificent museum of the lifestyle of the legend.

How to get there : BTS Skytrain to National Stadium Station
Bus routes 15, 32, 39, 53, 59, 70, 80, 82
Open daily : 9.00 am. to 5.00 pm.
Admission fee : Adult 100 baht, Child 50 baht.
Contact : Tel. 0 2216 7368
Website : www.jimthompson.com

Canal Tours

A voyage through time
Bangkoks history is so closely connected to the waterways. It used to have so many canals that it was often called The Venice of The East. Rattanakosin Island came into existence when King Rama I had the Bang Lamphu Klong constructed to fortify Bangkok.

Cruising along the klongs as the canals are called in Thai, takes you on a journey of contrast back to earlier eras and up to modern Bangkok.
The most popular klong trips start on the Bangkok side of the Chao Phraya River and cross over to the Thonburi side to venture up Bangkok Noi and Bangkok Yai canals. These journeys take you to fascinating places such as The Royal Barge Museum and the colonial-style Thonburi Railway Station.

On the way you will see a different side of life as you pass the homes of the klong-dwellers. Each home seems to have its own boat, be it a small canoe or a hang yao the long-tailed boats powered by car or truck engines and a propeller on a long shaft that acts as both propulsion and steerage.

The contrast continues as you pass into idyllic rural pockets where villagers grow fruit, vegetables and orchids which are sent to markets on the long-tailed boats. Youll see children on there way to or from school and saffron robed monks travelling to their klong-side temples. You may even come across Thai women in boats selling boat noodles, drinks, snacks and fruit.
Most organized canal tours take you to a floating market at Taling Chan in Thonburi that operates from 8.30 a.m. until noon. It is usually crowded with other tourists.

How to get there : Tour boats depart from the pier beside the Oriental Hotel, at River City and Tha Chang Wang Luang Pier.

Chatuchak Weekend Market

This is paradise for bargain hunters. Every Saturday and Sunday, 9,000 individual booths are open selling an infinite variety of goods.

It is just about impossible to go to Chatuchak Weekend Market and not buy anything. There is just about everything that bargain hunters, home makers, pet lovers or just browsers can imagine.

Handicrafts are every where including pottery, hand-made glass models of the Royal Barges, fluffy toys, colourful tropical fish, singing birds puppies of many breeds, furniture and lots of new and second hand clothing, shoes, handbags, belts. There is so much on offer that even international home decor wholesales come here to shop.

Music lovers can find unique traditional Thai musical instruments being sold direct by the artisans who have crafted them to make the pleasing sounds.

One rule for all shoppers to observe is bargain, bargain, bargain. This is part of the fun and also gets you the best prices.

Chatuchak Weekend Market has interesting products from all over Thailand as well as things from far off lands.

You should allow the best part of a whole day to explore the many stalls. You never know what you will find. But this is work that will make you thirsty and puckish, so take a break here and there to cool off with a fresh fruit juice or feast on delicious Thai dishes such as Pad Thai, barbecue chicken, noodles and sweets.

How to get there : BTS Skytrain to Mochit Station or Metro to Kamphaeng Phet Station
Bus Routes 3, 26, 27, 29, 34, 59, 77, 96, 112, 134, 136, 138, 145, 502, 503, 510, 512, 513
Open : Saturday and Sunday
Admission : Free

Khao San Road
Where the worlds young travellers meet.
Khao San Road is a favourite crossroads for the young travellers on a budget. It has evolved over the last two decades from just one small hostel providing low-budget accommodation become one of the worlds most well-known destinations. It has been featured in many movies and television documentaries.

During the day, Khao San Road is the scene for back-packers looking for a cheap room while others are arranging transport to their next destination in Thailand or overseas. Some will be just chatting with friends over a cup of coffee or a bowl of noodles.
At night, it turns into a lively thoroughfare lined with street stalls selling cheap clothes, handicrafts, souvenirs and thousands of other items. The lights are on at the many bars where the travellers tell tales of the days adventures and discoveries and the plans for tomorrow. Khao San Road is not just for foreign travellers, many young Thai people like to hang out there, including members of the TV and film production industries.

The location is very convenient for visiting the many tourist attractions on Rattanakosin Island. It is just a 10-minute walk to Sanam Luang and The Grand Palace.

During April when Thais celebrate the Songkran Festival, Khao San Road becomes a fun-filled battleground as everyone, Thais and foreigners indulge in splashing each other with water.
The area is also well-known for the wide variety of inexpensive food. This ranges from spicy Thai Tom Yum Gung soup to the ever-popular banana pancake.

How to get there :
Bus routes 3, 9, 32, 64, 39, 44, 53, 59, 503, 509, 511

Pratunam

Pratunam is one of the older shopping areas in Bangkok that has a highly-deserved reputation among bargain shoppers.

Passing through the area, you will see many shops on the main roads. But the real activity is in the market hidden behind the stalls and shops. Here youll find a huge variety of low cost clothes, fashion accessories, shoes, watches, electronic gadgets and all sorts of souvenirs. It is usually very congested as there are many eager shoppers looking for their bargains.

Pratunam is the location for Thailand's tallest building, the Baiyok Tower. This is the major wholesale center for the garment trade. It is very popular with minor and major international traders, particularly those from Africa. There is even an African restaurant nearby.

Bargain hunters looking for good deals on computers, accessories and software flock to Pantip Plaza, which is now known throughout the world for its low prices.

How to get there : Bus routes 2, 11, 23, 60, 62, 72, 93, 140, 511, 512

Chinatown (Yaowaraj)

China Town The largest outside of China Chinatown is a bustling, crowded area where you can buy just about anything day or night.

The main thoroughfare through Chinatown is Yaowarat Road, which is approximately 1.5 kilometres in length. It was built during the reign of King Rama V. On each side of the road, there is a network of streets and alleys lined with shops selling all sorts of things. In many of these streets, you'll find shops side by side selling the same items.

There is an old fresh food market called Trok Isarnuphap where leading chefs from all over Bangkok shop for the finest and freshest ingredients for their restaurant menus.The largest outside of ChinaChinatown is a bustling, crowded area where you can buy just about anything day or night.
The main thoroughfare through Chinatown is Yaowarat Road, which is approximately 1.5 kilometres in length. It was built during the reign of King Rama V. On each side of the road, there is a network of streets and alleys lined with shops selling all sorts of things. In many of these streets youll find shops side by side selling the same items.

There is an old fresh food market called Trok Isarnuphap where leading chefs from all over Bangkok shop for the finest and freshest ingredients for their restaurant menus.A visit at night will take you to a food street where you sit on stools watching your meal being prepared, then enjoying the delicious cuisine washed down by tea or a cold beer.

How to get there : Subway to Hua Lamphong station

Bus routes 1, 4, 7, 25, 53, 501